KOUBI'Alanda in the opera

"Madame PARADJI ou La Reine des Nanas Benz"

Produced by: Atelier Nomade d'Alougbine Dine and Modus OPERAndi
Text : José PLIYA
Directed by: Javier Lopez Piñon
Music: Angélique Kidjo
Voice and singing workshop: Alexander Oliver
Assistant : Floris Van Delft Camaerawork: Eric Bos ( Freerk)
Costumes : Joseph Kpobly
Musical arrangements: Dag Jack

Project sponsored by the Prince Claus Foundation, the Cooperation Française du Bénin, the CCF in Cotonou, Stichting Doen, Ambassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bénin

Madame Paradji is a new production of the EITB after "Tonton Dindin" directed by Alougbine Dine.

This history starts from nowhere to end at the heart of the world. Our protagonist is insgnificant,but will become a heroine; you are going to tremble, shakeand vibrate like in the old times, gathered around a fire, the fire of my words that will tell you the incredible story of Eulalie Kpadé, later to become Mme. PARADJI"

The author José PLIYA

In his role of Timothée Sanvee, the actor KOUBI'Alanda as a presenter ofthe radio station Adingban FM, ,receives his guests around the "explosive file"entitled: Mme. Paradji, is she a myth or is she real? (rehearsal photographs)

Amongst the guests invited to reveal the secrets, we find

- Van Gogh, the Dutchman, a cloth merchant, played by Ibrahim Malangoni from Niger (actor with ENAL)

- M. Lokossi, the biological father of Timothée, the son of the Tanty where Eulalie was placed, played by Patrice Toton (story-teller)

- The radio engineer, Fidèle Anato

- The sorcerer and spiritual advisor of Mme. Paradji, Cristel GBAGUIDI

"Should I ring the bell, or escape?"

"Should I bribe him or kill him?"

A little girl gets sold for a piece of "tchivi", a cheap piece of cloth that looses its colorthe first time it gets washed. At the age of 8, she is placed at an "Auntie". For 14 years, Eulalie succeeds in resisting humiliations, abuse and repeated rapes. She runs away and becomes Madame Paradji. She suspects the radio journalist Timothée to spy onher and of being an accomplice of Lokossi;

she poisons him before she realises she has just killed the child she has brought forth herself...