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Friday, Sep 05, 2008
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Festival of Lies explores the feelings and frustrations of an exploited people
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| Festival of Lies explores the feelings and frustrations of an exploited people | |
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by E. Joyce Glasgow -
SGN A&E Writer FESTIVAL OF LIES, BY FAUSTIN LINYEKULA AND LES STUDIO KABAKO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, ON THE BOARDS, NOVEMBER 29- DECEMBER 1 Festival of Lies, a dance/theatre piece by Congolese social activist/artistic director/choreographer/performer Faustin Linyekula and his company, Les Studio Kabako, explores the feelings and frustrations of a people who have been consistently subjugated, exploited and disempowered by greedy governments, foreign corporations and controlling, self-serving despots for centuries. Forces have plundered Congo's natural resources, murdered millions and forced Congolese people into slavery both inside and outside the country, keeping the people in strife physically, emotionally and psychically, in un-democratic and uncaring turmoil. The citizens of this country have known no stability or constant identity, as governments and dictators rise and fall through colonizations, assassinations, revolts, wars, corruption and the interests or disinterests of outside super powers. Dictators make false promises, change the name of the country at their personal whim and pretty much run their own political and monetary agendas. All of this is a kind of ugly "static" taking place among a few, at the expense and anguish of millions. This "piece of fiction," this "festival of lies" - from colonizers like the brutal 19th century King Leopold of Belgium to insane despots like Joseph Mobutu (Mobutu Sese Seko) - fuel Linyekula's performance piece. His society has always been dominated by males. We hear recordings of these men in grandiose speeches, in French, by Mobutu and his assassinated predecessor, Patrice Lumumba, Laurent Kabila, Joseph Kasa-Vuba, Kengo Wa Dondo, Mulumba Lukoji, Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Baudouin I of Belgium, with English translations projected on the wall. Near the end of the piece, Linyekula tells the sound man to "shut him off" (meaning Mobutu) over and over again and says "there is no Zaire or Congo. It's all lies". At one point, the lone woman performer/writer in the piece, Marie-Louise Bibish Mumba sums up her position in society: "I want to vote. I've had the right to vote for ten years but I never did it. There have never been any elections. We only have duties and no rights". This performance piece worked for me, was thought-provoking and it inspired me to research more about the history and current situation in what is currently named the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Linyekula transformed the On the Boards space into a dance hall, with cabaret style tables and chairs, African dinner by chef Jacques Sarr, and live music by Soukous musician Wawali Bonane and his band. The audience was encouraged to dance before and after the show and during intermission. Interacting - in a visually poetic way - primarily with eight fluorescent tube lights and at one point dismembered doll parts, Linyekula and the two other male performer/dancers, Papy Ebotani and Djodjo Kazadidi, moved through the space with the lights individually and then, stripping down to their underwear, moved mostly in slow wrestling interactions, evoking what appeared to be a sense of vulnerability, of desire and will for struggling to be and stay on top of the heap, or just the struggle to simply survive. At one moment the performers asked the audience to rise and sing the national anthem. But with the ever changing identity of the Congo, which national anthem was the question? Linyekula has been quoted as saying, "The moment you take into account the history of perception, you start realizing that even the image we have of ourselves is shaped by the outside . . . Congo and many African countries are still colonial states. Because, a colonial state is one where legitimacy comes from outside, and political legitimacy in the Congo depends on who your 'godfathers' are, outside in Washington, Paris, or Brussels." While the piece was overall very effective, I thought it could use some editing and streamlining in the overly long first half, which lost some of its punch by its length and belaboring of certain motifs. The second half brought more power and clarity to the development and messages in the piece. Linyekula has poetically said that, "My Africa is always in the becoming," and "Perhaps my only true country is my body." It is clear that Linyekula has a great deal of love and passion for the well-being and judicious treatment of his countrymen and women and is a leading spokesperson and advocate for his peers throughout Africa. Here are some basic facts about what is currently called the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Population: 56 million (UN 2005), Capital: Kinshasa, Area: 905,354 square miles, Major Languages: French and four indigenous languages, Major Religions: Christianity and Islam, Life Expectancy: 42 years(men), 44 years(women), (UN), Main Exports: Diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt and crude oil. It is located in South Central Africa and is bordered by: the Republic of Congo and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola to the southwest, Zambia to the southeast, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda to the east, Sudan to the northeast and the Central African Republic to the north and northwest. For more information on upcoming events at On the Boards, visit: www.ontheboards.org |
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