| "Ce ne serait pas un lancement de poésie ordinaire," says Tchitala Nyota Kamba, and whether you speak French or not, you know she’s speaking the truth: for Calgary, at least, this won’t be an ordinary poetry launch.
Kamba was born in the Congo-Kinshasa and studied at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles and at the Université de Montréal. Since moving to Calgary, she’s taught French at the University of Calgary and l’Alliance Française, founded Apapi Film and Théâtre (an organization dedicated to promoting the French language and Afro-Caribbean culture through theatre, dance and literature) and, this week, she launches her first collection of poetry: L’Exilée de Makelele.
"Makelele is the name of a neighbourhood in Brazzaville, the capital of Congo," says Kamba, "and of the river that crosses that neighbourhood, and of the little animals that live near the river. But the problem of exile isn’t unique to the Caribbean or to Africa. It’s everywhere. We all come from somewhere else and find ourselves sharing in a cultural marketplace. L’exilée de Makelele is you, it’s me, it’s anyone who’s left a place they love." Kamba’s book/CD explores the full depth of the exile experience. "There’s a little bit of everything: love, death, discoveries, departures and returns. There are regrets, nostalgia, joy and hope."
As Kamba mentioned, this will be no ordinary book launch: poems will be sung aloud, accompanied by Afro-Haitian dance by local troupe les Perles Haïtiennes. "In Africa, we don’t need to wait for a wedding or a beautiful day to dance," she says. "We live in dance, in every moment, spontaneously. I want to show that poetry is alive, not only in books, but truly alive."
And, yes, the evening will be in French. "We often find anglophones, who understand a bit of French or none at all, at francophone events," says Valérie Dupré, choreographer of les Perles Haïtiennes. "They come to listen, but it’s more than hearing – they can feel the words. It’s a bit like going to the opera. You might not understand a word they’re saying, but at the same time, you understand."
If you’re surprised to hear of a French-speaking community in Calgary, you’re not alone. "When we say we’re francophone, people are like, whoa!" says Kamba. "But French isn’t only spoken in Quebec. It’s in Africa, in the Caribbean, in Calgary." We are, in fact, home to a fairly well-developed francophone community, as evidenced by the volume of people who contributed to Kamba’s book/CD. "For me, it’s a birth. I’m a new mother in the operating room, waiting for a nurse to show me my baby," she says. "There are so many people helping with the birth: Éditions des Plaines, Laurent Chabin, Pierre-Yves Mocquais, Georges Blary. And, of course, my husband, who listens to me at 2:00 in the morning when I wake up and say, ‘Il y a une phrase qui me torture l’esprit, qu’est-ce que tu y penses?’"
L’Exilée de Makelele launches on February 15 at 6:30 p.m., at the Alliance Française, on the second level of the Memorial Park Building, 1221 2nd Street S.W. The event is followed by a reception where you can eat, drink and bask in an evening of French.
Teething! Breastfeeding! Heart-piercing shrieks at 3:00 in the morning! A new parent’s life is full of challenges, but fortunately there are experts to help. Paula McGarrigle and Elena Rhodes, authors of Baby Guide to Calgary, team up with baby expert Kitty Raymond this week for a special baby Q&A, to answer all those parenthood woes. Get your parenting puzzles pieced together at McNally Robinson on February 17 at 2:30 p.m.
Christine Osunde, an on-air personality for CityTV, brings her media expertise to bear in Interview Ready: 101 Tips for Making a Memorable Impression. If you’ve been anxiously dreading the day that the nasty, scandal-hungry Bookends writer calls you up for an interview, Osunde can give you the tools to cope and thrive. She’ll be signing copies of her book at McNally Robinson on February 20 at noon. |
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