2020-2021
75 minutes
16 €
19 h
A night with its heart in Cape Verde, featuring two shows by leading companies and artists from the country.
Choreographer António Tavares presents a dance piece inspired by the life and inner world of Kmêdeus, an enigmatic homeless man from the island of São Vicente, in Cape Verde. Some islanders consider him a madman, others an artist, and some a philosopher. But no one really knows the truth. They only know his name: Kmêdeus, which means “God eats.”
António Tavares, recognised outside Europe as one of the best performers of contemporary African dance, has shared stages with choreographers such as Pina Bausch. He began his career in the city of Mindelo as a dancer in the group Mindel Stars, with whom he made his first international tour in 1986 and visited the Netherlands, Senegal, France and Macao. In 1991 he founded the groups Crêtcheu and Compasso Pilon, with whom he carried out research on traditional Cape Verdean dances. And as well as working with various Portuguese choreographers – such as Olga Roriz, Aldara Bizarro, Francisco Camacho, Rui Nunes and José Laginha – he has developed his own work and produced numerous shows along the lines of Afro-contemporary dance creation.
Choreography, performance and costumes António Tavares / Music Ari Tavares / Scenography Bento Oliveira
In this duet performed by the dancers from the company Raiz di Polon, the body serves as a musical instrument, which is a constant practice in Cape Verdean culture: specifically, the musical genre of batuque, one of the oldest in the country. It is performed exclusively by women, who are responsible for preserving and transmitting the local traditions. The dancers were inspired by a text by Mário Lúcio, Duas sem três.
The company Raiz di Polon was founded in 1991 in Praia, Cape Verde. With its first contemporary dance piece in 1997, Até ao Fim, the company began its international career, performing in more than 40 countries in Africa, Europe, South and North America and Asia. Raiz di Polon has received numerous awards for its shows. Apart from the creation of dance pieces, since 2000 Raiz di Polon has promoted activities in the field of art education, first within the framework of a joint project with Danças na Cidade, based in Lisbon, and then through its own dance school since 2006.
A show by Mário Lúcio Sousa / Choreography Elisabete Fernandes and Rosy Timas / Original music Mário Lúcio Sousa / Voice and body work guidance Margarida Mestre / Lighting design and technical coordination Carlos Ramos / Sound design Raúl Ribeiro
Co-production Bailes en la ciudad, Raiz di Polon / Executive production Raiz di Polon / Supported by Belém Cultural Center; Aarhus Festuge – Denmark; Cape Verde Ministry of Culture; Mindelo Cultural Centre; French Cultural Centre in Praia; Alliance Française in Mindelo; Radio FM; National Library – Praia; IPC – Institute for the Promotion of Culture; RTC; newspaper A Semana / Acknowledgements DJ Burkam and Mr Kula Pinto
In addition to the choreographic piece, there is the film Kmêdeus, based on this work by the choreographer Antonio Tavares that we will be able to see for the first time on December 10 at the Filmoteca de Catalunya as part of the inauguration of Africa Moment 2020.
Video of the movie Kmêdeus:
