Mentors of MASA Lab – MASA https://masa-ci.org Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d'Abidjan Sun, 09 Nov 2025 15:45:12 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://masa-ci.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/cropped-Logo4-32x32.png Mentors of MASA Lab – MASA https://masa-ci.org 32 32 Hassane Kassi Kouyaté https://masa-ci.org/en/team/hassane-kassi-kouyate-3/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 20:18:22 +0000 https://masa-ci.org/?post_type=cpt_team&p=24089

Hassane Kassi Kouyaté is a talented artist from Burkina Faso, skilled as a storyteller, actor, musician, dancer, and director. Born into a family of griots, he inherited a rich cultural heritage that he skillfully blends with contemporary arts. After starting his career in several African theatre companies, he expanded his artistic horizon by immersing himself in European theatre.
He co-founded the theatre company “Deux Temps Trois Mouvements” in Paris and also directs the International Festival of Tales, Music, and Dance Yeleen, held annually in Burkina Faso. In 1998, he founded Théâtre Galante in Avignon and created the Djéliya Cultural and Social Centre in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, a place for creation and transmission dedicated to local artists and audiences.
In November 2014, he became director of Tropiques Atrium, the national stage of Martinique, where he developed cultural actions and supported the professional development of artists on the island. Since 2019, he has been the director of the Festival des Francophonies in Limousin, a major event for French-speaking performing arts.
His artistic approach, combining oral tradition and modernity, makes him a key figure in theatre and performing arts both in Africa and Europe. Committed to education and transmission, he continues to promote narrative arts and African cultures while innovating, inspiring a new generation of artists.

Hassane Kassi Kouyaté also plays an important role as a mentor within the MASA Lab project, supporting the Tell’Arts company led by Sow Souleymane.

 

]]> Georges Momboye https://masa-ci.org/en/team/elementor-24081/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:45:48 +0000 https://masa-ci.org/?post_type=cpt_team&p=24081

Georges Momboye is an internationally renowned Ivorian choreographer who began his training in African dance at a very young age before expanding his practice to jazz, classical, and contemporary dance, notably at the Alvin Ailey School in New York. Settled in France since 1992, he founded the Centre de Danses Pluri-Africaines in Paris, a space dedicated to the promotion and transmission of African dances.
Leading a company of about fifty artists, Momboye creates works that blend modernity with African roots, moving far beyond folkloric clichés. His signature pieces, such as Empreintes Massai, celebrate contemporary African art, while he also reinterprets classics like Prélude à l’Après-Midi d’un Faune and The Rite of Spring. His work intertwines emotion, light, music, and movement, crafting immersive and profound experiences for audiences.
A respected educator, he regularly leads workshops in France and internationally, sharing his deep expertise and clear approach to both African and contemporary dance.

As a mentor for the MASA Lab project, he currently supports the King’Art company, led by Serge Arthus Dodo, embodying a strong commitment to nurturing emerging artistic talent.

]]> David AUBAILE https://masa-ci.org/en/team/david-aubaile-2/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:04:50 +0000 https://masa-ci.org/?post_type=cpt_team&p=24054

David Aubaile is a celebrated multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, conductor and educator, known for his vibrant, cross-cultural music. Mastering flute, piano and keyboards, he seamlessly blends classical, jazz, traditional and contemporary musical worlds, demonstrating great enthusiasm for diverse projects.
Throughout his career, he has performed and recorded with renowned artists including Salif Keita, Khaled, Brigitte Fontaine, Oxmo Puccino, Ziggy Marley, Tété, Lokua Kanza and Arthur H. He also composes for theatre, dance, and documentary films, and has served as musical director for the successful French adaptations of musicals such as Dirty Dancing and Bodyguard, The Musical.
In parallel with his artistic career, David teaches jazz and improvisation at the Centre d’Informations Musicales (CIM), the CRD of Évry, and the CRC of Villebon. His teaching approach focuses on improvisation, collective responsiveness, and human interaction, fostering both musical and personal growth.
He leads personal projects such as the David Aubaile Trio (D.A.T.) and the duo HiMA, reflecting his passion for stylistic fusion and creativity. In 2024, he released the album Trafiquants with the David Aubaile Trio, highlighting his rich soundscape and free musical approach.

David Aubaile stands as a key figure in the jazz and contemporary music scenes, combining heritage, innovation and collaboration. Within the MASA Lab programme, he mentors emerging artist Ruth Tafébé, nurturing the next generation of talent.

]]> La chica https://masa-ci.org/en/team/la-chica-2/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 18:24:12 +0000 https://masa-ci.org/?post_type=cpt_team&p=24044

La Chica, whose real name is Sophie Fustec, is a French-Venezuelan artist born in Paris, in the Belleville neighborhood. Trained in classical piano and sound engineering, she began her career as a pianist and keyboardist for renowned artists such as Yaël Naim and Christophe Maé. She was also a member of the group 3somesisters, where she revealed her stage presence.
In 2017, La Chica launched her solo project, a hybrid universe blending Latin influences, urban music, electronic pop, and shamanic elements inspired by her Venezuelan Amerindian roots. She explores personal and social themes through independent productions, including the EP Oasis, the album Cambio, and the piano mini-album La Loba, dedicated to her late brother.
An engaged and inventive artist, La Chica combines music, visual arts, and refined aesthetics to offer a complete artistic experience, mixing emotion and spirituality. Her work embodies an identity quest that resonates both with her origins and contemporary issues.

Mentored by Jahelle Bonee within the MASA Lab program, La Chica continues to assert herself as a rising figure in the independent music scene, driven by an authentic and deeply human approach.

]]> Blick Bassy https://masa-ci.org/en/team/blick-bassy-2/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:20:21 +0000 https://masa-ci.org/?post_type=cpt_team&p=24026

Blick Bassy is a multidisciplinary Cameroonian artist known for his commitment to African identity and social issues. After co-founding the group Macase, he embarked on a solo career, releasing five critically acclaimed albums, including 1958 (2019), awarded the Grand Prix Sacem World Music, and Madiba (2023), which addresses water-related issues.

A successful writer, he published Le Moabi Cinéma in 2016, a novel denouncing the illusions of the West for African youth, which won a major Francophone literary prize. In 2021, he was given a carte blanche at the Quai Branly Museum, presenting concerts, sound experiences, and performances including Bikutsi 3000, a danced tale highlighting the role of African women in governance.
Blick Bassy blends tradition and modernity to reinvent African culture and inspire new generations.
He is also the mentor of Reine Ablaa within the MASA Lab program.

This translation balances accuracy with fluid, natural English suitable for press or promotional materials.

He is also the mentor of Reine Ablaa within the MASA Lab program..

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