« Black Label » : when antiracist poetry comes to life on stage
With Black Label, director David Bobée and rapper-actor JoeyStarr pay tribute to antiracist poetry through a powerful performance blending literature, music, and choreography.
Inspired by the poetry collection of Léon-Gontran Damas, a key figure of the Négritude movement, this stage project revisits major poetic works that stand against racism and discrimination.
Poetry in motion
Léon-Gontran Damas, a major figure of the Négritude movement alongside Aimé Césaire and Léopold Sédar Senghor, left a mark on literature with his sharp and committed writing. His collection Black Label, published in 1956, is a cry of revolt against colonial oppression and racial injustices. Today, his words resonate more than ever in an immersive stage production where poetry becomes a living spectacle.
On stage, JoeyStarr embodies this poetry with his raw energy and powerful voice. Accompanied by musicians and dancers, he breathes new intensity into the texts, giving them a universal reach. Blending slam, hip-hop, and mesmerizing rhythms, Black Label is a sensory experience that transcends time and borders.
A strong artistic commitment
David Bobée, known for his visually striking and socially engaged theater, presents a scenography that plays with light, movement, and sound. Each scene of the performance is an ode to resistance and the memory of past struggles. Music is omnipresent, shifting between jazz, African percussion, and contemporary beats, paying tribute to the sonic influences that have accompanied these foundational texts.
Beyond its aesthetic, Black Label is a manifesto. It reminds us that poetry is a weapon, an act of transmission and rebellion. In a world where discrimination persists, reviving these texts is a way to amplify voices that have too often been silenced.
A must-see performance
Black Label is not just a tribute; it is a dialogue between past and present, an invitation to reflect on yesterday’s and today’s struggles. By blending Damas’s words with the rhythms and gestures of the 21st century, David Bobée and JoeyStarr deliver a moving and essential performance.
Dates and Venues :
- From 15 March to 5 April 2025: Théâtre National de Bretagne, Rennes
- From 10 to 20 April 2025: Théâtre de la Ville, Paris
- From 25 April to 3 May 2025: La Comédie-Française, Paris
