Beatriz, The Saint Prays

‘Salve you say, and you do not know the reason you say it. You receive Salve and you do not know why…’ A loosely translated excerpt from Salve Antoniana, the deconstructed Salve Regina was created by Beatriz Kimpa Vita of the Kingdom of Kongo. In her days of rebellious protest against the Capuchin Priests from Portugal, she took a dangerous stance by not only criticizing their beliefs but also reinventing them. Mixing what she deemed useful from Catholicism with her own culture, she reinterpreted and localised the rituals and prayers. In this piece, we attempt to ‘use her essence’ to create an experience, “What would Dona Beatriz say of today?” The spoken piece breaks down a popular Christian prayer through honest concern, irony and sarcasm to examine its meaning in today’s world.
Also… In celebration of all lost stories of the rebellious women of colonial and pre-colonial Africa.