Led by choreographer and visual artist Smaïl Kanouté, Black Indians explores the cultural heritage of New Orleans' Afro-American Indian communities.
During a residency in New Orleans, Smaïl Kanouté met the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters, a legendary community of Black Indians, who invited him to parade with them on Super Sunday. This 150-year-old African-American tradition recalls the way Native Americans welcomed freed slaves during the slave trade. While the songs mix Native American languages, Creole and English, and take on the codes of hip-hop, rap and blues, the parades are also a moment of reconnection with the community's African roots.
Inducted as a "Chief Scout" by Big Chief Darryl Montana and Big Queen Dianne Honoré, Smaïl Kanouté continues this exchange by inviting the Black Indians, Queen Renée Gosman of the Yellow Pocahontas and Flag Boy Marwan of the Golden Eagles, and by collaborating with Julien Colardelle of Souffle collectif, a group of musicians who share a taste for improvisation blended with Creole, European, Senegalese and Afro-Brazilian traditions.
The result of a collaboration between MansA and Compagnie Vivons, this performance from the Chief Scout/Black Indians project will take place on June 17 at the MC93 venue.
