Nzi Dada’s night-time outdoor show, Ritual Imaginaire, is a powerful collision between Bantu culture and contemporary performance that oscillates between fierce ritual and mystical ceremonial style. Drawing on funk, jazz and electronics together with African percussion and tradition, Ritual Imaginaire combines live music and physical performance with atmospheric lighting, sampled sound and giant sculpture.

Nzi Dada is a collaboration between Manchester-based bass player Jim Parris (Carmel) and Paris-based Cameroonian performance artist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Xumo Nounjio. Performances are highly percussive, with Xumo and percussionist Christophe V playing a variety of instruments including an African log drum, triggered samples, metallic instruments, and bead shakers. Line Nzakou brings both mesmeric dance and frenzied drama to the show.

In 2004 Ritual Imaginaire was awarded funding from Arts Council England to tour to a number of festivals in the UK. The performance was reworked in 2005 with director Benji Reid and featured as part of the Decibel/Xtrax showcase of culturally diverse performing arts in Manchester, on June 3rd 2005 - see www.xtrax.org.uk.

Ritual Imaginaire builds on the success of Nzi Dada’s existing venue-based work in the UK and Europe where they have performed at venues and festivals including Decibel, Xtrax Manchester, Royal National Theatre, The Africa Centre, El Mercat de las Flors Barcelona and Le Regard Du Cygne, Paris.The show is designed to be presented in darkness and is suitable for audiences of around 1500 people. Running time is approx 40 mins and there is no text.

view short video clips of performances here : video 1 : video 2