‘Not another diva...’

This show by the South African actress and singer Hlengiwe Lushaba and the Congolese director Faustin Linyekula gets us thinking about another possible past for the diva, far from the glitz and glamour, the lady, the slave, the tragedy. A past of which, when it comes down to it, the only luxury is to remain free to make your own choices.

Not Another Diva… seeks out the path towards reconciliation, in this backyard of our lives that we never reveal, in this inner exile where the unspeakable is expressed, where our contradictions are exhibited, where a secret and intimate score is played.

Faustin Linyekula is a dancer, choreographer and director who lives and works in Kisangani (Democratic Republic of the Congo). After studying literature and theatre in Kisangani he moved to Nairobi in 1993 where, in 1997, he was involved in founding Gàara, Kenya's first contemporary dance company. After returning to Kinshasa he founded Studios Kabako in June 2001, a structure for dance and visual theatre in which exchange, research and creation are central. Since 2007 Faustin's work has been closely associated with the city of Kisangani where Studios Kabako work on creating creative spaces and accompany young Congolese artists in developing live performance, video and music.
Hlengiwe Lushaba studied Drama Studies at DUT formerly known as Technikon Natal in South Africa. As a singer and performer, Hlengiwe has worked with Faustin Linyekula (What is black music anyway / Self Portraits, 2012) showcased at the MoMa in New York and Alain Buffard, Baron Samedi, and develops her own work for many years.