Yélassina Coulibaly

Enchanted Tales of Africa
Directed by Ye Lassina Coulibaly
All age and young groups

 

“An old man sitting under a tree sees things that a young man who travels the world do not see”

The ancient words convey to us the knowledge and the memory of our ancestors. Through the staging of the enchanted tales of Africa, Ye Lassina Coulibaly offers to share them with all age groups, as young as adult. Depending on demand, the show and the selection of tales are appropriate to the audience, a show with variable geometry.

 

“Travelers’ feet and thieves ears”

“Having attended very early in my childhood to all-night-long tales, with my parents and grandparents, and being fed greedily with their words, knowledge, imagination, their wonder, I take the risk to say that the genius of Africa runs in my veins. Since then, my feet are travelers and ears thieves; my roots are in my feet and I’m home in my head; my tongue, these are my tales and I have only one desire it’s to share by valuing the social and intergenerational aspect (as bamanan cosmogony, which I was initiated into the sacred forest, knowledge must be shared).

The enchanted tales of Africa, a show with variable geometry

 

“Gentle or frightening word, the tale teaches life to children”

Traditionally, in Africa, we use tales to teach family and moral values, prevent, counsel and reconcile people. So the tale has a social function and contributes to the preservation of humanity. Conveyor for communication, sharing, combining past and present, the tale ensure the continuity of the oral tradition in Mandingo society.

 

Through the tale, which is sometimes gentle word, sometimes word of fear, encouragement, motivation, the child or young person is aware of the challenges and difficulties of life in society, learns to grow up, to show bravery in order to best contribute to the group’s life. With tales, the child learn to listen and hear the beauty of inner speech. This is why the tale has an educational and pedagogical function.

 

The tale, by featuring the flora and fauna, the living and the ancestors, takes us into a world where there are no limits between man and nature, between the real and the unreal … Pushing further the analysis, the tale is wisdom, it is the cradle of knowledge, it’s in fact the consciousness and the unconscious of a people and we could say, of humanity

 

Convinced that their educational value may contribute to the process of formation of the individual and his openness to other civilizations of the world, I testify that these tales that my grandparents told me are still alive, universal, and just waiting to be transmitted. “

 

Enchanted tales are used to open the young people to the Mandingo culture of the West Africa, to help them discover the basics of rhythm and explain the place of each instrument in harmony. This show is also a way to discover many traditional instruments.

The music, the singing and the tales are a bet on awakening and education of children in Africa; children are the guardians of the culture.

As an artist musician, initiated at young age to the masks cult, my main purpose is to show the richness of Mandingo culture to young people.