Between the Rural and the Urban: Contemporary Theater Groups in Mali

Abstract

The mobility of Malian theater groups has been increasing during the last century, especially since the French colonization. The migration of forced labor workers toward the labor camps around Bamako brought the profane Kotéba theater of the Bamana people to the city, where it developed its own urban forms. After the country’s independence in 1960, this urban theater experienced a flourishing period with emerging theater groups that were inspired by modern international influences. These groups started moving domestically and internationally, and the new influences started flowing back to the Malian villages with theater companies performing in rural districts. Contemporary theater groups such as Acte Sept directed by Adama Traoré, Blonba by Alioune Ifra Ndiaye and Jean-Louis Sagot-Duvauroux, or Nama by Yacouba Magassouba, are moving between rural and urban settings for their performances and are adapted depending on context, infrastructure, timeframe, and local language. By including ancient and modern elements of Malian rural and urban theater forms, the aim of the theater groups is to contribute to a common contemporary art.