'Queen Sono' creator Kagiso Lediga hopes people will appreciate Africa's diversity through the eye-opening show
In Netflix's 'Queen Sono', the titular character of Queen speaks multiple languages, including isiZulu, Afrikaans, English, isiXhosa, Swahili and more. The show is also shot in multiple locations across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and Zanzibar.
Touted as Netflix's first African original, there were high hopes on 'Queen Sono', as for the most part of the world, Africa represents one entity and it is easy to forget the continent is made up of 54 countries that are quite diverse.
Africa is home to thousands of indigenous tribes and features thousands of languages and dialects spoken across the continent. While most might think of starving kids against the backdrop of a desert, 'Queen Sono' strives to prove that there is more to Africa than the racist and orientalist image that is more popular.
In an interview with TIME magazine, series creator Kagiso Lediga said, "I thought how cool would it be to have a woman that embodies something different, the idea that women can fight back."
"It's not just about flies on babies suffering from malnutrition," he says. "There's a vastness of cultures. It's the second-biggest continent with some 1.3 billion people and I'm hoping people will get to appreciate that."
'Queen Sono' also strives to show the aftermath of colonialism and apartheid. "For South Africans, there was a lot of isolation because of apartheid, so this idea of 'Africa' is always vague," said Lediga.
"South Africans, both black and white, almost have this European or western notion of Africa. It was important for me to say that we are all on this continent together," he added.
For international audiences especially, 'Queen Sono' is set to open their eyes as they learn more about the continent and the trend is likely to continue with Netflix's upcoming African originals. More often than not, Africa has been viewed through oriental eyes when depicted in American television and movies.
"Obviously there's been American cultural hegemony. Americans have been very successful in selling their culture and distributing their content abroad, and I think now, they've saturated their own markets," Lediga added.
All episodes of Season 1 of 'Queen Sono' is now streaming on Netflix.