Le Kombi
A kombi is the typical private taxi-van that determines the street scenes of Kinshasa and many other African cities. It is more or less the only collective means of transport. In the morning and the evening, the Kinois spend hours in them, packed together and sweating, their lives in the hands of the reckless drivers. In his first solo, Jeannot Kumbonyeki is using this kombi as a premise to talk about everyday reality, public provisions, and the position of artists in his country, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
‘We anxiously keep an eye on our bags, we make jokes, we discuss politics, how life is too expensive, or the girl in a tight skirt. In some strange way we do still progress, despite the policies of our leaders.’
• Jeannot Kumbonyeki lives and works in Kinshasa. He has danced in the work of Ula Sickle (Kinshasa Electric) and Faustin Linyekula (more more more… future, Sur les Traces de Dinozord), among others.
direction, performance, video Jeannot Kumbonyeki | lighting design Jeannot Kumbonyeki assisted by Jean-Pierre Legout | outside eye Faustin Linyekula | production Studios Kabako/Virginie Dupray | co-production Institut français/Danse l'Afrique danse with the support of la Fondation Total.
