In a raw, intimate solo, Faustin Linyekula watches his personal history in the light of the rich and tumultuous history of his native Congo. In a dialogue between Flamme Kapaya’s powerful music and his own narrative, Faustin Linyekula investigates his relationship with dance, the physical language he has used, for over a decade, to tell the stories of his country; and seeks in his own body traces of such a brutal history. “A person has to believe stubbornly -despite the upheavals of history, wars, revolutions, the regimes- in celebrating beauty. To expect that mere art can cope with the huge ugliness of life. To dare to dream that independent thinking, free will and personal initiative may push away the pile of ruins that we inherit,” says Linyekula.
Faustin Linyekula
Le Cargo is a manifesto by one of the most eloquent, outspoken voices of contemporary Africa: Faustin Linyekula (Democratic Republic of Congo, 1974). His works are structured through the lines of ndombolo dance, and they are presented as the legacy of decades of war, terror, fear, and collapse of the economy that he, his family and friends experienced. Linyekula works as a creator, educator and cultural agitator, making him one of the masters of the modern African scene. For the year 2016, Faustin Linyekula is an Artist in the city of Lisbon (after Tim Etchells and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker), where many of his pieces, collaborations and new works created specifically for this event will be presented to celebrate one of Africa’s most renowned artists.
Cast
Author, director and actor: Faustin Linyekula | Choreography & performance: Faustin Linyekula | Music: Flamme Kapaya, Obilo drummers | Production: Studios Kabako / Virginie Dupray | Co-production: Centre national de la danse | Supported by: DRAC Île-de-France / French Ministry of Culture and Communication.
Premiere
7 and April 8, 2011 at the Centre national de la danse in Pantin (France).
Premiere in Spain at the Festival Escenas do Cambio 2016