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2009 Past Grantees Grantee Events Calendar | |
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About the Grant$35,000 to support the premiere production of Makandal (MAP 2007), a contemporary opera inspired by accounts of the first Haitian slave revolt as written by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier in his 1949 book, The Kingdom of This World. Conceptualized by multidisciplinary artist Carl Hancock Rux, in collaboration with Haitian American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain and Haitian American visual artist Edouard Duval-CarriÈ, the opera explores themes of escape, freedom and homeland as it intertwines the struggles of Carpentier and two groups of refugees, one Haitian and one Cuban, with the journey of Haitiís legendary folk hero Macandal.About the ProjectMakandal is a contemporary music theater work co-commissioned by CarnivalCenter for the Performing Arts in Miami, Harlem Stage in New York and CalArts in Los Angeles. It will premiere in Carnival Center’s Knight Concert Hall in December 2008. Multidisciplinary artist Carl Hancock Rux was inspired to create Makandal after reading The Kingdom of This World, by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier. Published in 1949, this novel is an early example of magical realism and relies on this literary device to tell the story of Haiti’s first slave revolt and the legendary folk hero who led it, Makandal. Rux’s Makandal interlocks the stories and histories of Carpentier, Makandal, and two groups of refugees, one Haitian and one Cuban, to explore the nature of heroics, freedom and the desire to escape from oppression into a new world. Rux has joined with Edouard Duval-Carrié, Miami-based, Haitian-American mixed-media artist, as the visual director of Makandal. His work uses images from Haitian lore and African and Western mythology to illustrate a familiar history of humans combating prejudice, greed, and unchecked power. South Florida-born, Haitian-American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain is the composer, drawing on his unique blend of funk, rock, hip-hop and classical music. Related WebsitesCarnival Center for the Performing Arts |
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