The Boli which gives its name to this opera is a magical “fetish”. In the Bambara animist culture of Sub-Saharan Africa, it was the most sacred object because it was a source of power. Passed down from generation to generation, the Boli is a link between the dead and the living since it can contain the relics of deceased chiefs. Since the Boli has the memory of a people, it is through him and his guardian in the museum that we create our history of Africa. A story where magic and materialism collide. A story that tells the absurdity and cruelty of the rapprochement between Europe and Africa. "A rapprochement that has not always been done in good conditions" as Aimé Césaire said. Accompanied by an old choir and a female choir, the music composed by Damon Albarn is the metaphor of Boli. With the musicians, she embodies her magical power, her “soul”.
