ROKIA TRAORÉ : Kirina

juil 25, 2018

Kirina is an unsightly place in Guinea. It was here where the last battle took place that led to the rise of the Mandinka Empire in West Africa. The significance of Kirina can be best compared with that of Waterloo for Europeans. Serge Aimé Coulibaly – who performed the Fela Kuti-inspired piece ‘Kalakuta Republik’ last year at Vooruit – has based his latest dance performance on the symbolism of this place.

According to Coulibaly, dance is a form of marching, a trek towards hope and a new reality. In ‘Kirina’, he shows people on a voyage to a better future. Coulibaly turns their march into a choreographic composition that encompasses their most tragic and joyful moments, from courage and pride to sacrifice, confrontation and victory.

For this show, Coulibaly took inspiration from Greek tragedies and classics such as ‘Macbeth’ and ‘The Rite of Spring’. He turned to Felwine Sarr, one of the most relevant African researchers and writers of the moment, to write the libretto. The acclaimed Malinese singer Rokia Traoré provides the music.