Dance in Mali: Fari Foni Waati, the first deconfined festival
Audio 01:18
During the 2020 edition of the Fari Foni Waati contemporary dance festival in Bamako, the Zimbabwean choreographer Nora Chipaumire had directed a group of African dancers.
© Twitter @prohelvetia_jhb
Text by: Kaourou Magassa
4 min
On January 25, the Malian Ministry of Culture in a press release invited operators in the sector to resume cultural activities and reopen infrastructure and performance venues.
For its 5th edition, the Fari Foni Waati, a contemporary dance festival, will therefore open its doors to the public this Saturday and Sunday, with the obligation nonetheless to respect the barrier measures.
Publicity
Read more
From our correspondent in Bamako,
A few hours before the first shows, technicians from Blonba, one of Bamako's largest artistic complexes, are busy setting up a stage made from a palette.
Nouh Abdramane Maiga, dancer, has just finished a rehearsal.
He's all smiles at the thought of performing in front of an audience
“
Now there's the
Covid
thing
, it's a bit difficult, people have suffered so much,” he
says.
They really need to relax, to see something that makes them happy and happy.
"
What Abdramane wants to show is the fruit of many hours of work.
For three weeks, three guest international choreographers led creation workshops around 16 professional or semi-professional dancers living in Mali.
Among them, Alesandra Seutin, choreographer and co-director of the school of sands in Senegal.
She created the piece
Yiri Souma, under the shade of a tree.
"
Reclaiming what we have
"
“
We went for a walk the first day we were in the neighborhood, observing the children, observing the movement of people to then recreate a work and re-interpret it on our adult bodies, but relive this energy and this essence. children, she
explains.
In fact, here it's important to reclaim what we have, to rework it and to recreate things that are fresh, here and contemporary.
"
In addition to three original creations, the Fair Fani Waati festival - which translates to “the time of moving bodies” - will present a total of 8 dance performances to the public in the Malian capital throughout the weekend.
►
To listen: What is the role of an artist in 2021?
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Culture Africa
Mali
Music
On the same subject
Mali: the Illaré festival in Kabara, near Timbuktu, is in full swing
Culture / Africa
African culture: 100 events in 2020
Reportage
Covid-19 in Mali: decontamination operation in markets and bus stations