Without light, there’s no show. Without a lighting director, no artist. Dao Mamadou, lighting director of Salle Niangoran Porquet, takes us on a journey into the shadowy world of the light-makers. By Sanou A.   How does a lighting designer work on a show? When companies arrive, they have their...

Humor and epic martial arts demonstrations: South Korea showed MASA audiences a tantalizing slice of its culture and immense creativity. By Siamlo Victoria Sedji   It’s not just cutting-edge technology that boosts South Korea’s image. The land of the new morning is well known for its ingenious advances in telephone...

Equato-Guinean music diva Nelida Karr will be performing on the Grand Scène Parking of the Palais de la Culture on Wednesday April 17. Last Sunday, at Yelam’s, she gave a remarkable performance in front of an audience transported by the artist’s vocal timbre. Immersion.  By Samuel Assougba   Sunday, April...

Canadian slam artist Sabina Romy took to the stage at Salle Niangoran Porquet for her first performance at this 13th edition of MASA.  By Luc-Hervé N’KO   She was in front of a packed audience. Flanked by two musicians – including the excellent percussionist Karl Henry Brezault – Sabina Romy...

Rwanda is present as guest of honor at the 13th edition of the Marché des arts du spectacle africain d’Abidjan (MASA), with the National Ballet and a theater troupe. By Koné Seydou   After a performance at the opening ceremony on Saturday, April 13, and another on Monday, April 15,...

The Salle Niangoran Porquet at Abidjan’s Palais de la Culture played host to Benin’s first show on Sunday April 14th. Performer and actress Cybelinede Souza took to the stage alone, to denounce a current and prevalent phenomenon: violence against women. By Yves-Patrick Loko   The show « Que nos voix résonnent »...

Camille Millerand recounts the nights of Abidjan   By Roger Levry   French freelance photographer Camille Millerand, who works in particular for the prestigious French newspaper Le Monde, has scoured the nightclubs and maquis of Ivory Coast’s economic capital in search of the rarest images, rubbing shoulders with those involved...

Guinea makes a triumphant entry at MASA with the Tinafan circus company. Entitled « Faso kagnin », in French, aka »Home is better », the show is a mirror of the trials and tribulations of immigration, and an invitation to improve things back at home. By Fortuné Sossa   The decor is sober with...

On April 13th, the MASA 2024 opened with a bang! Speeches, art, dance, and pan-African unity were all on display for this year’s opening ceremony.  By Abou Adams  « Feet in the culture, head in the future ». This clever phrase, uttered by the slam duo Amee and Bee-Joe during their performance...

For the past three years, MASA’s Street Art Zone has been a showcase for urban culture including DJ sets, live performances, cultural meetups, graphic arts, urban fashion, and more. Ivorian artist Kajeem, one of the founders of the project, tells us how « the Zone » gives a platform to emerging artists....