It’s intriguing when someone remakes their own song. Why do they want to retread that old ground? Is there a memory of a bread crumb left behind that could lead down a new path? Or is there someone new to share the journey and re-explore with? With Gyre’s remake of “Quarantine” which features iindirhe, it’s a bit of both.
Gyre and iindirhe have done more than just remake the original track but also produced a visual diary and short film to accompany the song. Instead of just getting someone to jump on the remix, Gyre and iindirhe have instead collaborated to create something that takes the original track and produces a whole new body of work out of it.
The original is a tale of dealing with coming out and being shunned by your family like you’re diseased, an unfortunately common experience for many queer youth. With this new take, Gyre and iindirhe hope to transcend the queer lens of the original and highlight the universality in the struggles of finding oneself when you’re rejected and hurt by those closest to you. iindirhe’s hauntingly beautiful vocals echo Gyre’s sentiments and expand upon them, highlighting that love heals.
The short film also explores this. It suggests that finding one’s self and healing can come from the love and kindness of other like-minded individuals. By revisiting old ground with a new friend, Gyre and iindirhe are able to uncover and discover new elements together, whilst reinforcing the message of the original.
The short film was screened at Drama For Life’s Emakhaya Theatre on 25 April 2019 in collaboration with Bare Stories and featured a discussion forum facilitated by Welcome Lishivha with Bev Ditsie and Desire Marea on the panel. If you unfortunately were unable to make it, it’s been released online for you to view in your own time. You can watch it here.
