The Walker Art Center presents Festival of Lies, a combination soukous party and contemporary dance performance by Congolese choreographer Faustin Linyekula and his ensemble, Les Studios Kabako, Thursday-Saturday, November 1–3, at the Cedar Cultural Center.
"An ethereal figure with a spirit of steel . . . the Congolese choreographer is an intellectual and practical force to be reckoned with." —The Star, South Africa
Presented as part of the Walker's In:Site/Out Series, Festival of Lies turns the Cedar into a Kinshasa social club and combines a spirited celebration with an intensive performance installation. Linyekula, his five-member company, and an all-star band of local Africans come together to create an immersive, emotionally resonant piece that reimagines an age-old and surprisingly joyous combination of tradition and myth in which villagers gather to drink, dance, feast, and concoct outrageous lies about their leaders.
All performances feature musicians Yawo Attivor (voice, acoustic guitar), Siama Matuzungi (electric guitar), Doug Little (saxophones and flute), Patrice Delemos (percussion), Greg Schutte (drums), and Serge Akou (electric bass). African food by Tam Tam's African Restaurant will be available for purchase.
Saturday's expanded marathon presentation additionally includes contributions by: Tish Jones, Ananya Chatterjea, Meena Natarajan and Dipankar Mukherjee, Black Arts Fusion, Beverly Cottman, Leah Nelson.
Saturday's marathon presentation extends past last call, combining Linyekula's company with a global mix of leading Twin Cities performing artists in an evening featuring the Festival of Lies performance remixed and expanded to include spoken word, dance, and storytelling by powerful local forces. More food, more drinks, more art, and especially, more lies. Featured performers include Tish Jones, Ananya Chatterjea, Meena Natarajan and Dipankar Mukherjee, Black Arts Fusion, Beverly Cottman, and Leah Nelson. This performance also features music by Yawo Attivor (voice, acoustic guitar), Siama Matuzungi (electric guitar), Doug Little (saxophones and flute), Patrice Delemos (percussion), Greg Schutte (drums), and Serge Akou (electric bass).
Saturday's performance is copresented with the National Performance Network (NPN) and made possible in part by the NPN Community Fund. Additional support provided by the MetLife Community Connections Fund of the National Dance Project, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Performing Arts Fund—a program of Arts Midwest, and the National Endowment for the Arts. -- www.walkerart.org
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