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Traditional Themes and Techniques in African Theatre and ‘Francophonie’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2009

Mineke Schipper
Mineke Schipper
Affiliation:
Comparative Literature at the Free University, Amsterdam.
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Extract

‘Francophonie’ arrived relatively recently in Africa; it has only been systematically nurtured since the colonial occupation. The French have often even believed that the French language was ‘the best solution’ for Africa. Was there not, after all, only one culture, the French culture? And therefore it must, as far as possible, be spread throughout the world. A commission set up to formulate France's aid policy to developing countries confirmed the necessity ever to extend the influence of the French language as follows:

La France désire, plus que toute autre nation, diffuser au loin sa langue et sa culture. Son besoin de rayonnement intellectuel trouve bon emploi auprès de peuples dont la langue convient mal aux idées et aux techniques modernes (…): elle leur apporte un mode d'expression et une méthode de pensée.

Type
Articles
Information
Theatre Research International , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , Autumn 1984 , pp. 215 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © International Federation for Theatre Research 1984

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References

Notes

1. In: Rapport de la commission Jeanneney, ‘La politique de coopération avec les pays en voie de développement’, La Documentation Francaise, novembre, 1964, p. 62.Google Scholar

2. Dannaud, J.-P., ‘Enseignement et avenir de la langue française dans les pays d'Afrique noire’, in: Coopération et Développement, septembre–octobre, 1965, p. 20.Google Scholar

3. Cornevin, Robert, Le Théâtre en Afrique noire et à Madagascar, Paris, Le Livre Africain, 1970, pp. 46–52.Google Scholar

4. Ibid., p. 68.

5. Bakary Traoré, Preface to Ndao, Cheik A., L'Exil d'Alboury et La décision, Paris, Oswald, 1967, p. 8.Google Scholar

6. Cf. Traoré, Bakary, Le Théâtre négro-africain et ses fonctions sociales, Paris, Présence AfricaineGoogle Scholar, and Mouralis, Bernard, ‘L'Ecole William Ponty et la politique culturelle’, in: Le Théâtre négro-africain. Actes du Colloque d'Abidjan – 1970, Paris, Présence Africaine, 1971.Google Scholar

7. Senghor, L.-S., ‘Comme les lamantins vont boire à la source’, postface à Ethiopiques, Poèmes, Paris, Seuil, 1964, p. 167.Google Scholar

8. I have treated the subject more fully in my book Theatre and Society in Africa, Johannesburg, Ravan Press, 1982.Google Scholar

9. Werewere Liking, Introduction in: Marie-José Hourantier, Le Chant de la colline, théâtre rituel, Dakar, Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1980, p. 7Google Scholar; see also Hourantier, Marie-José and Liking, Werewere, Du rituel à la scène chez les Bassa du Cameroun, Paris, Nizet, 1979.Google Scholar

10. Werewere Liking, Introduction, in: M.-J. Hourantier, op. cit., p. 9.Google Scholar

11. Werewere Liking, La Nouvelle Terre, théâtre-rituel, Dakar, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1980, pp. 39–40.Google Scholar

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17. Other playwrights do the same: André Salifou of Niger, Amadou Lissé Dia of Senegal, Massa Makan Diabaté of Mali, amongst others. André Salifou's Tanimoune, for example, is about the history of the flourishing Kingdom of Damagaram under King Tanimoune, who is sung of and praised by griots. In the author's opinion, he was one of the greatest figures in pre-colonial Niger.

18. Konaké, Sory, Le grand destin de Soundjata, Paris, ORTF/DAEC, 1973, pp. 10–11.Google Scholar

19. Oyônô-Mbia, Guillaume, Trois prétendants… un mari, Yaoundé, CLE, 1969Google Scholar; the subject of the dowry is also central to Menga, Guy's L'Oracle, which follows La Marmite de Koka Mbala in the CLE series (Yaoundé, 1976).Google Scholar

20. In April, 1977.

21. Werewere Liking, La Nouvelle Terre, Introduction, p. 10.Google Scholar

22. Ibid., p. 11.

23. La Puissance de Um, Paris, CEDA, 1979Google Scholar and Du Sommeil d'injuste, Dakar, Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1980 (in the same edition as La Nouvelle Tene).Google Scholar

24. Bemba, Sylvain, Un foutu monde pour un blanchisseur trop honnête. Yaoundé, CLE, 1979, p. 8.Google Scholar

25. Bemba, Sylvain, L'Homme qui tua le crocodile, Yaoundé, CLE, 1972, p. 4.Google Scholar

26. Ibid., p. 14.

27. Ibid., p. 70 ff.

28. Ibid., p. 5.

29. Ibid., pp. 6–7.

30. Ndao, Cheik A., Le Fils de l'Almany, Paris, Oswald, 1973, e.g. p. 29.Google Scholar

31. (Philippe) Lisembe, Elébé, Simon Kimbangu ou Le Messie noir, Paris, Nouvelles Editions Debresse, 1972, pp. 49–50.Google Scholar

32. Menga, Guy, La Marmite de Koka-Mbala, pp. 28–32.Google Scholar

33. Mushiete, Paul and Mikanza, Norbert, Pas de feu pour les antilopes, Kinshasa, Editions Congolia, 1969Google Scholar

34. Oyônô-Mbia, , op. cit., Introduction, p. 7.Google Scholar

35. Bemba, Sylvain, Un foutu monde pour un blanchisseur trop honnête, Avant-propos, p. 7.Google Scholar

36. See also my Theatre and Society in Africa, pp. 130–1.Google Scholar