Franco-Ivorian Sabine Pakora will perform her show « La Freak, journal d’une femme vaudou » at the Palais de la Culture on Friday April 19, 2024 at 7pm. In it, she satirically portrays the realities of black life in a white-dominated world.

By Samuel Assougba 

In an atmosphere of subdued light, the decor is carefully set. Sabine Pakora steps forward elegantly, accompanied by soft music, stroller in hand. On either side of the stage stand mannequins she affectionately calls her « supers MaMas ». At the back, a mirror sits enthroned: it’s the fulcrum of her personality transformations. With a special grace, she plays a variety of roles: the silent cleaning lady, the sarcastic casting director, the research professor in « Tchipologie » (what in Côte d’Ivoire is known as « tchrou-logie »). Her silhouette symbolizes her inner strength, even if she sometimes wishes she could get rid of it.  » In the beginning, there was my body. I’ve often been told I’m beautiful. But when it came to my body, move on. There was nothing to see, » the artist complains on stage, before adding: « My body doesn’t complain. Sometimes it should. Protest for everything we put it through« .

Questioned at the end of the show, Sabine Pakora stressed the importance of questioning stereotypical representations of Africans, lamenting the fantasies and anxieties that the continent has been able to arouse throughout history. « Africa has really been a territory that has captured a lot of fantasies and anxieties. Africans have been shown as monsters at universal exhibitions. I really needed to talk about that! Because it’s something that hasn’t been questioned enough for me, » defends Sabine to justify her play.

« La Freak, journal d’une femme vaudou » not only denounces racial inequalities, it also highlights injustices linked to physical differences, asserting that those who step outside the norm are often stigmatized.  » (…). It’s also a way of saying that anyone who is a little different, with a different body or skin color, is seen as a monstrous figure, » adds the artist.

The challenge for Sabine Pakora was to readapt her show for the Ivorian public, while retaining the relevance and force of her initial message formulated in France. However, the enthusiastic reactions of the Abidjan audience confirmed that her work also resonated with the local context, which filled the artist with emotion. « The public’s reactions showed that the text also made sense here, » she confides. She added: « As an artist of Ivorian origin, I’m extremely happy to be performing here. For me, it has a very strong symbolic force ».

This first performance in Abidjan marks a significant moment for Sabine Pakora, who is delighted to be sharing her work with her native country, and to see her message understood and appreciated beyond its borders. Her next performance is this Friday, April 19, 2024, at 9pm, in the Salle Niangoran Porquet.