The program associated with the exhibition "Corps et âmes" pays tribute to contemporary artist Arthur Jafa by exploring the significant and lesser-known inspirations that punctuate his work through a series of exceptional concerts.
In dialogue with Arthur Jafa’s akingdoncomethas (2018) – a montage of sermons and gospel songs recorded in Black congregations across the United States and presented in the museum’s Studio – the Bourse de Commerce and the Ugandan label Nyege Nyege invite the Congolese choir Kingdom Molongi to unveil their album Kembo, set for release in March 2025 on Nyege Nyege Tapes. The evening continues in the Rotunda with Lacrimosa, a new composition by French electronic music composer Low Jack, interpreted by Kingdom Molongi.
Program
April 24
20h — doors open
20h30 — Kingdom Molongi Choir presents Kembo
21h — Lacrimosa, composed by Low Jack and performed by Kingdom Molongi Choir
April 25
21h — doors open
21h30 — Kingdom Molongi Choir presents Kembo
22h — Lacrimosa, composed by Low Jack and performed by Kingdom Molongi Choir
Kingdom Molongi is a Congolese choir of twelve singers, based in Kampala, Uganda, and founded in 2018. The choir blends spiritual and experimental music through ethereal vocal improvisations in Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo, and French. Rooted in sacred traditions while embracing contemporary forms, Kingdom Molongi explores the power of the human voice, glossolalia, and linguistic structures, delving into themes of spirituality and the perception of time.
Philippe Hallais, known as Low Jack, is a French electronic music artist and composer, born in 1985 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and based in Paris. The author of seven albums, he co-directed Éditions Gravats from 2014 to 2021. His artistic practice plays with sonic clichés, media folklore, and the diversity of musical languages associated with underground subcultures. His performances include collaborations with artists as diverse as Ghédalia Tazartès, Lala &ce, Mediengruppe Bitnik!, Lina Lapelytè, and Cecilia Bengolea. At the Bourse de Commerce, he wrote and directed the 2021 musical Baiser Mortel and presented the 2023 film Mangrovia, created with the Italian visual artists duo Invernomuto.
Founded in 2013 by Arlen Dilsizian and Derek Debru, Nyege Nyege began as a nightclub in Kampala, designed to provide DJs, musicians, and artists from East Africa with a space to take creative risks and experiment with a wide range of sounds. It quickly became a hub for listening, sharing ideas, and fostering artistic connections.
About Lacrimosa by Low Jack
Deeply tied to the composer’s own life, the narrative of Lacrimosa invites reflection in the face of loss. This sonic work draws inspiration from Alice Coltrane’s spiritual Eternity (1976) as well as the traditional structure of the Requiem, a mass for the dead. One of its sections, the Dies Irae, evokes Judgment Day and concludes with the Lacrimosa (literally, “full of tears”), depicting the weeping of souls in search of salvation. In Lacrimosa, Low Jack transforms autobiographical elements into a messianic, polyglot form, unfolding across eight movements that chart the storms and serenity of grief. The piece follows an initiatory solar cycle—from dawn to dusk—where one returns transformed but mourning the loss of a guiding presence. Low Jack crafts one of his most intimate compositions, weaving together musical archetypes and universal narrative structures, drawing from both classical lyrical music and popular song.
Composition: Low Jack. Lyrics: Mélanie Matranga. Arrangements and Orchestration: Nicolas Worms
Lacrimosa was created with the support of Numeroventi, as part of Low Jack's artistic residency in Florence.
