Spazio Griot

In 1959, one of the most seminal gatherings of peoples of African origins took place in Rome of all places. This meeting brought together philosophers, historians, politicians, writers, artists, and other major stakeholder of the time from the five corners of the African world to deliberate on the histories, presents and futures of African peoples irrespective of where they found themselves. A lot has been said and written, even more still has to be researched about this 1959 Congress as well as the other gatherings that preceded and came after.

But what did the contributors listen to on the radio or their gramophones or record players before boarding the boat, train, or other vehicles before getting to Rome? What music did they listen to during breakfast, lunch, supper, or some breaks in between? What about those who came with their dancing shoes and instead of languishing in the rooms at night and philosophizing or planning the next decolonial move decided to go to the jazz bars and night clubs to take off some steam— what did they dance to? And all those who thought the revolution was already in the music and the sonic was the space in which political consciousness was being planted, cultivated, and disseminated— what was their playlist? What music did they play when at home and their children were being initiated, baptized, or when they were hosting some “Ndah-Mung” or some other “chop-tong” for the community?

This listening session is a speculative journey across times and geographies to reconstruct the sonic scape of the 1959 Congress of black writers and artists. It is a fabulative sono-historiography or histerio-sonography of that momentous gathering of acknowledging each other, plotting, and imagining other ways of being in this world as an African being.

 

A Sonic Reckoning — Second Congress of Black Writers and Artists” is organized by SPAZIO GRIOT in collaboration with and with the support of the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici

Prof Dr Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Monday, July 13th
7:15 pm
Grand Salon of Villa Medici
Free admission until capacity is reached

Ticket link coming soon