Raíces et Résistance (World Premiere)
Duniya Dance Company, Arenas Dance Company, and Dance Mission Theater’s Liberation Academy present the world premiere of Raíces et Résistance (or Roots and Resistance in Spanish/French), co-directed by Cuban choreographer Susana Arenas Pedroso and Guinean musician Bongo Sidibe. Raíces et Résistance explores the vibrant, layered, and largely unknown social-political relationship between Guinea, West Africa and Cuba, forged by the transatlantic slave trade as well as the post-colonial cultural exchange that began in the 1960s. Bringing together their cultural expertises, their passion, their senses of joy and justice, Pedroso and Sidibe have created a unique performance built on storytelling and cultural collaboration. Raíces et Résistance features a world-class Guinean/Cuban ensemble of 25 dancers and 15 musicians with traditional costuming from Cuba and Guinea in a performative conversation as Spanish and Malinké lyrics interweave with Cuban and Guinean rhythms. Performances are over two weekends, Fridays, October 11 and 18, Saturdays, October 12 and 19 at 8pm and Sundays, October 13 and 20 at 3pm at Dance Mission Theater. For tickets and information, https://bit.ly/raicesetresistance. Discounted early bird tickets are on sale now through August 12.
Embodying the past and the present, “Raíces et Résistance” is a story of Black people defining themselves through dance and music during and after the traumas of slavery and colonization.
“Often stories of African and Caribbean nations are predicated on their relationships to the white western world,” explains Sidibe. “This project, while attached to the history of colonization and slavery, looks at independent nations carving out their own identities, Afro-diasporic, immigrant artists collaborating to inspire collectivity and community, and the examination of how people emerge from collective trauma through art.”
After French colonization ended in 1958, Guinea elected socialist president Sekou Touré, one of the African continent’s prominent independence leaders. Touré aligned closely with Cuba’s Fidel Castro, and through this alliance came cultural exchange between the two countries. The dance that emerged incorporated elements of Guinean footwork with popular Salsa dance steps. Artists were invited to festivals by the governments of both countries, and national music groups in Guinea, like Bembeya Jazz, created music with heavy Cuban influence. Raices et Résistance is the final work in Pedroso and Duniya’s multi year performance cycle which began in 2022, illuminating Cuba and Guinea’s cultural/political relationship.
Pedroso adds, "My work showcases my Afro-Latinidad identity. I am all of these things: Cuban, but also immigrant, Black and Latina. My art elevates Afro-Latinx art to its rightful position of being celebrated for its beauty, wisdom, and deep intelligence. The social issues addressed in my work are the representing/transmitting of traditional knowledge rooted in my ancestors. It’s vital that these Afro-Latinx forms are represented as part of the multicultural fabric of the US. As a traditional practitioner, I am part of the movement to let ancient wisdoms speak to us across generations/continents, guiding society to a more equitable future.”
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2582535-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2582535-2
