DRC
Through contemporary dance, twenty-six year old Michel Kiyombo shares a reality rooting from family troubles and scuffles, which resulted to his father’s mysterious death.
Entitled Masu Kaino (Curse)-in Kizimba language in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this 30 minutes solo stage act grabs the audience due to its quite shocking scenes, backed by emotional audio and visual effects, connecting the whole message conveyed.
Masu Kaino is a Dance presentation by Michel Kiyombo
The Artiste’s dance moves symbolize the reality that comes with pain, grief, confusion, emotional torment and the yearning for freedom. Using body language, through twists, frowns, shivers, sounds, eye contact- while connecting to the visual audio recording, Kiyombo presents this act with real devotion, which traps his audience, that he takes hold of, to pass on the feelings he holds.
Masu Kaino is inspired by the mysterious death of his father in 2012. This follows his visit to his step family, where he is attacked by a strange sickness, which gradually weakens him at Kiyombo is born. At 18 years, as his dad is 30 and paralyzed, Kiyombo is already living to witness his father’s illness, while serving as his hands and feet till his death, “I remember the moment we were together, so in my body, I try stepping back in these feelings,” he explains.
The performance taps into the reality of the Dancer’s past life experience
This play relates well to daily life amongst African lives, where curses, rituals and taboos are taken vital and still play a great role since way back in ancient time.
To the artiste, it’s more than the grief, but further to it is that he depicts a cleansing exercise, form a curse which has been long rooting from the family.
“It’s very important meeting and sharing with s audiences and fellow dancers from different countries,” explains Kiyombo.
The dance has been staged in Kinsasha, Goma and Kisangani of Congo. It has also been taken to Tunis, Bamako, France, Belgium, Germany and at Rwanda’s East African Nights of Tolerance (EANT) dance festival in November last year.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save