Comment by Océan Brun – The grief of the Caribbean islanders echoes through Leicester Cathedral | Section

Men ancient pure water Caribbeanfloating mats of poisonous seaweed called sargassum cover the water for months, due to weather conditions and pollution. The result is a threat to biodiversity and life, and when it washes to the surface, it emits gases that are harmful to human health, causing headaches, nausea and respiratory problems.

This interesting story, based on the background of Océan Brun, the composer of the songs of Marlène Myrtil, was asked by the inhabitants of Guadeloupe and Martinique, where Myrtil’s Chameleonite Company and derived. This is the first time that the piece will be seen outside of Martinique, a move that is synonymous with Let’s Dance Around the Frontiers festival in Leicester, which provides a platform for international artists every year, both from Africa and the African-Caribbean diaspora.

The tall stone walls of Leicester The cathedral makes a perfect setting for this duet, the daylight through its high windows disappearing after an hour to be replaced by the orange light of the stage. The result is a visible change in time, a real change in the environment. (The downside is that during the day, the film showing the sargassum-laced sea is weak and difficult to see, which has no power.)

The piece is like a silent cry for the problems of the island when we hear words from the testimony of the local people – “headache”, “burning”, “medicine” – while the dancers move with breath, dance with difficulty, tire themselves quickly (or tire of their problem). There are feelings of urgency and desperation; they raise their hands to the sky as a sign of support, although this dance, which sounds good, is easy to interpret.

Walking in silence, shimmering music, or the sound of crashing waves, Deborah Lary and Francis Saint-Albin are amazing musicians. There is passion and controlled pressure in everything he does – some of the art is influenced by qigong meditation practices. In its place there is a powerful, hypnotic stillness, say, a slight curling of the fingertips, as if training the viewer to pay attention to what is happening.