Adama Diop reads Kery James

The Franco-Senegalese actor Adama Diop has chosen to take on Kery James' texts in his collection Le Poète noir, essential texts that show the place that rap and slam have in poetry today. To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of his career, Kery James has brought together some of his strongest texts, as well as several previously unpublished ones, in Le Poète noir. A complex, hybrid and deeply committed artist, the poet's voice now carries far beyond the world of rap and the housing estates.

Texts from the collection Le Poète noir by Kery James published by Actes Sud - Papiers

Texts from the collection Le Poète noir by Kery James published by Actes Sud - PapiersKery James, born in 1977 in Guadeloupe to Haitian parents, grew up in the Paris suburbs. Famous rapper with several gold records, in 2017, he premiered his first play, À vif, at the Scènes du Jura in Lons-le-Saunier, followed by a successful run at the Théâtre du Rond-Point and a tour of France. Kery James is also continuing his commitment to young people through his association.

Reading of a short extract from Cahier d'un retour au pays natal by Aimé Césaire, published by Présence Africaine

Adama Diop reads Kery James
Music Mocke (guitar) and Baben Sissoko (Kora)
Director Cristophe Hocké
Assistant director Laure Chastant