Sogobò: The puppet people.
Trans Photographic Press| N° d'inventaire | 29883 |
| Format | 20 x 30 |
| Détails | 144 p., illustrated, publisher's hardcover. |
| Publication | Pomponne, 2023 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9791090371590 |
Mali is the country where the art of puppetry was born.
Yaya Coulibaly, one of the greatest living puppeteers, is the heir to a centuries-old tradition. He is one of the most brilliant representatives of African culture and traditions. For more than thirty years,
Malian artist Yaya Coulibaly caricatures African society and watches over more than 10,000 puppets, some of which date back to the 16th century.
In Mali, mask and puppet theater, generally called sogobò, is common to the Bamana, Malinké and Bozo, whose history and culture have been closely linked for centuries. This theatrical art uses masks and puppets, of incredible formal and symbolic richness, in the context of multidisciplinary events that combine theater, masquerade, dance, acrobatic art, music and song. A living art, constantly evolving, mask and puppet theater is a mirror of society that reflects the identity of these three peoples as they conceive it and its performances are as many highlights of social life that reinforce peace and cohesion within society.
A poetic art par excellence, based on illusion and suggestion, puppet theater is often associated with social and spiritual practices. It is a symbolic and effective means of mobilizing supernatural forces. In other contexts, it allows us to confront the authoritarianism of those in power without seeming to do so. But it is also a total art, requiring multiple skills: drawing, sculpture, sewing, music, dance, martial arts, dramaturgy, and acting. As such, it constitutes an anthropological object whose study allows us to better understand the underbelly of a culture, a society.
This work constitutes the second part of a trilogy on Malian culture, volume 1 of which, “Koredugaw,” was published by Trans Photographic Press in 2020.
Mali is the country where the art of puppetry was born.
Yaya Coulibaly, one of the greatest living puppeteers, is the heir to a centuries-old tradition. He is one of the most brilliant representatives of African culture and traditions. For more than thirty years,
Malian artist Yaya Coulibaly caricatures African society and watches over more than 10,000 puppets, some of which date back to the 16th century.
In Mali, mask and puppet theater, generally called sogobò, is common to the Bamana, Malinké and Bozo, whose history and culture have been closely linked for centuries. This theatrical art uses masks and puppets, of incredible formal and symbolic richness, in the context of multidisciplinary events that combine theater, masquerade, dance, acrobatic art, music and song. A living art, constantly evolving, mask and puppet theater is a mirror of society that reflects the identity of these three peoples as they conceive it and its performances are as many highlights of social life that reinforce peace and cohesion within society.
A poetic art par excellence, based on illusion and suggestion, puppet theater is often associated with social and spiritual practices. It is a symbolic and effective means of mobilizing supernatural forces. In other contexts, it allows us to confront the authoritarianism of those in power without seeming to do so. But it is also a total art, requiring multiple skills: drawing, sculpture, sewing, music, dance, martial arts, dramaturgy, and acting. As such, it constitutes an anthropological object whose study allows us to better understand the underbelly of a culture, a society.
This work constitutes the second part of a trilogy on Malian culture, volume 1 of which, “Koredugaw,” was published by Trans Photographic Press in 2020.