Time and Spaces
The Marrabenta Solos
Panaibra Gabriel Canda
May 21, 2013 21:00
CANGO Cantieri Goldonetta di Firenze | IT
also on May 22, 2013 21:00
The founder of Mozambique’s first contemporary dance company, Panaibra Gabriel Canda is one of the artists working towards developing autonomous choreographic creation in Africa.
With Time and Spaces: The Marrabenta Solos, he presents a show that deconstructs cultural representation of a “pure” African body. Since snatching independence from Portugal in 1975, Mozambique has been a land of social and political rifts which have seen an inflexible communist model gradually make way for a fragile democracy. This complex history is carried in the marrabenta, a musical form born in the 1950s from a mix of local and European influences. Accompanied by a guitarist, Panaibra Gabriel Canda dances and speaks about today’s African body: a post-colonial, plural body that has absorbed the ideals of nationalism, modernity, socialism and freedom of expression. His own body…
Panaibra Canda, born in Maputo, had artistic training in theatre, music and dance. He received additional training in contemporary dance Lisbon among Danças Na Cidade. He started to develop his artistic projects since 1993. In 1998 he created CulturArte, and been developing many artistic projects, including creations, showcases and training projects to encourage a local dance scene development. He also develops collaborations with artists in southern Africa and Europe, as well collaborating with artists of other disciplines. His work has been presented in Africa, Europe, the USA and Latin America.
