In Zouglou, people free words, loosen tongues and attempt to liberate themselves from the yoke of power that demeans them. This duet retraces the journey of a man who, in his battle, takes from his entire generation the power of a rhythm born for and during the struggle. Confronted with an unresponsive dictatorial power, he sings, dances, talks and uses irony. In Baoule, “zouglou” means “filth, rottenness, piles of rubbish”, reflecting the crowded conditions that Ivorian students endured on campuses in the late 1990s. They started to speak out and it turns into a rhythm, a dance. A student music group take over the revolt and writes the very first song of this new movement, the Zouglou. This choreography, which is permeated with movements of entreaty and challenge, is inspired by the history and gestures of Zouglou, but also of various revolutions around the world. Wherever people make demands, there is Zouglou. Wherever there is Zouglou, there is rebellion. Wherever there is rebellion, there is a desire for change, for reinventing the world. In Zouglou, people free words, loosen tongues and attempt to liberate themselves from the yoke of power that demeans them. This piece questions this need and the legitimacy of the rebellion for social justice and a more equal society. It is an invitation to continue the struggle for social justice, to carry on with the rebellion in the face of social and environmental inequality. This choreography is inspired by the history and gestures of Zouglou, but also of different revolutions all over the world. {Actor, dancer, choreographer Hippolyte Bohouo was born in Ivory Coast and started dancing and acting at a young age. After dancing with Kamel Ouali at the opening of PANAF 2009 (the Pan-African festival in Algiers), he moved to Belgium in 2010 and created pieces that resonated with his experiences. In 2012, at the Théâtre Ouvert de Bruxelles he staged “It's only the end of the world” by Jean-Luc Lagarce. In September 2018, he danced in “The Magic Flute”, directed by Romeo Castellucci and choreographed by Cindy Van Acker at La Monnaie opera house in Brussels and the Opéra de Lille.}
Zouglou
Location: Rue de Vergnies, 25, 1050 Ixelles
