Koko Slam Gang
Joëlle Sambi · Lisette Lombe · Raïssa Yowali · The Séniors du Manguier en Fleurs
18 and 19.09.23 | 20h
French, Lingala
No age restrictions
Duration: 1h
Place: Espace Magh
The slammers, Joëlle Sambi, Lisette Lombé, Raïssa Yowali and the “Koko” knit intergenerational ties for the audience; koko meaning grandmother in Lingala.
On stage, the stories collide, intertwine, their memories vivid and full of life: from the way grains of sand tumbled, the rhythm of a brass band in Matadi on one special Thursday, June 30th 1960, to stubborn and persistent silence despite the noise of the TV in the solitude of a Brussels apartment… The need for an exchange of words which barely cover the noise of roots that are lost and ties that are quickly vanishing…
Alongside the creation of the show KOKO SLAM GANG, there is the elegance of dance, songs and regalia that is celebrated. It is poetry that invites and imposes itself on the collective concert that is “living together”. These words are words to be listened to, the very words that catch us off guard with their strike. It’s about building a bridge between two banks so that we may meet enthusiastically in the middle. No crossing can be done without dance and music, just as no crossing can be done without the words of those who stand on the sides of the riverbank, hearing the other in all their truth, harshness and joy.
What do these older women know that the younger ones have forgotten? What strengths do they have to pass on? What are the secrets they have kept with them for a lifetime? What have we done with our elders?