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KALAKUTA REPUBLIK Contemporary dance meets African activism
When most tracks are done and dusted in three and a half minutes, it takes a bold musician to keep a song going for a full half hour. But that’s what Fela Kuti did, along with all manner of rebellious acts in 1970s Nigeria.
Inspired by the man, his music and his political activism, choreographer Serge Aimé Coulibaly created Kalakuta Republik, named after the compound Kuti lived in alongside his family and band members. In the Kalakuta Republic (note the different last letter), Kuti did whatever he liked (until he was arrested), and Coulibaly follows suit on stage, creating an echo of Kuti’s philosophy, rather than an autobiography.
In a show of two distinct halves, the fi rst section is a
testament to the dancers’ stamina, as they keep going through Kuti’s half hour track and beyond. Then, in the second half, Faso Danse Théâtre conjures up the spirit and chaos of a late night Kuti party. ‘The second half is a bit wilder,’ says Coulibaly. ‘It’s the kind of work I love to do, it’s more about the artists and what mess they can create. We have a saying in Africa that the most beautiful fl owers grow in the dirt – so I wanted to see how we could create beauty out of the mess. And to put in perspective all the absurdity of our world.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Lyceum, 8, 10 & 11 Aug, 8pm; 9 & 10 Aug, 2pm, £20–£25.
7–14 Aug 2019 THE LIST FESTIVAL 67