Feast of
amanda.maliba@inl.co.za
After more than three decades in the entertainment industry, veteran actress Lillian Dube has decided to make a switch and venture into co-hosting a TV show called 7 Colours, which has its premiere this week.
“7 Colours” is a name commonly used in the townships to describe Sunday meals. True to its name, the new show enables Dube and co-host Moshe Ndiki to travel to different homes In Mzansi to experience their inhabitants’ interpretation of what 7 Colours means.
Dube, who says her favourite foods are mostly traditional dishes like beans in any form, or pap and spinach, says this career crossover is an experience that shows where she is in her life– in a happier, more carefree place.
"I'm about fun. I've always been about fun, and if I can't have fun, I leave, because that wouldn't speak to who I am. And that's why I love 7 Colours. Adding Moshe to the mix, I laughed the entire day, because his respect for people makes it easy for us to get into a rhythm together,” she says..
Dube says she was fortunate in that she was approached for the gig and didn't have to audition for it.
She recalls the first time she met Moshe, “this flamboyant young lad walking in with so much confidence and seemingly extremely popular among the people”.
"So, because I don't watch Moja Love (and I'm told that Moshe trends on the channel) I didn't know who he was. All his work was new information to me, including his being featured on The Queen.
"So in walks this queen, and I got so angry that he didn't greet me – a whole star with so many years of experience under my belt," she says before bursting into loud laughter.
“I just kept thinking: ‘Do they know who I am? Do they not know the amount of work I have done? Have they not seen my face on different ads?’ I wanted to kill him. But little did I know that I would also become a fan.”
Dube adds that their working relationship is the reason why she excels in the show, as she was able to learn a thing or two from Moshe.
“When we are off, I think about him day and night. I think he bewitched me, because I can’t even think about anything else, not even a boyfriend, because my mind is filled with Moshe, Moshe, Moshe.
“At my age, you have to work with the youth, and I have been blessed to get to work with Moshe,” she says.
The avid cook says she enjoys preparing food for her family, “because that is where I am most comfortable”.
“I am very excited to experience other people’s lives through food – their 7 Colours versus what I would think mine would be.
“I am a perfectionist when it comes to presentation, something that I learnt from being a domestic worker back in the day. How you lay your table is something I always look out for, because I am still old-fashioned. I still use old-school veils with beading on the side to cover my milk. We used to make jerseys for our teapots to keep the tea warm. That is how old-school I am!
“But just because I am such a perfectionist doesn’t mean everyone needs to be. Rather, I will be looking for effort in how things are done.
“7 Colours goes beyond food – it is a show about family. It is about bringing families together over a meal, something that many of us are familiar with. So imagine watching families share the love over a meal.
“Food builds families and relationships, so this is a wholesome show for everyone to enjoy that I love every bit of,” muses Dube.
Sunday Independent