00:00In Mali, animals dance, sing and tell stories in Sogobo, a traditional performance blending masks, puppets, music and dance.
00:09The Museum de Confluence in Lyon is celebrating this rich cultural heritage in a new exhibition.
00:15The ten figures at the entrance represent the Tone Association.
00:20The young people who organize these activities in the village and welcome visitors to the exhibition.
00:30Practice in communities across central western Mali, especially along the Niger River, Sogobo is more than entertainment.
00:38It is central to village life. Young people learn to make and operate the masks and puppets while women perform
00:45the songs.
00:47Sogobo is said to have originated among the Bozo people of the banks of the Niger River.
00:53The exhibitions, two sections, the village and the river, reflect the connections.
01:00Each character has a distinct identity, helping pass on the community's stories and values.
01:06The Lyon Museum is showcasing 110 objects, including pieces donated by Sonia and Albert Loeb.
01:12I love everything here. I love discovering the history and these historic sculptures.
01:21It's very interesting to see how people lived in the past and learn about their culture.
01:28Sogobo has been on the UNESCO's representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity since 2014.
01:36In Mali, festivals celebrating masks and puppets are among the initiatives helping to keep the tradition alive.
01:44We worked with the costume designers at the Lyon Opera, who recreated a number of iconic characters for us based
01:51on videos filmed at the time.
01:53Here we see wild animals, including this antelope behind me, made with plant fibers and fabrics.
02:00It creates a rather special atmosphere.
02:05Today, this tradition is under threat from insecurity, economic hardship and environmental changes,
02:11which affects communities and the ability to organize these cultural events.
02:16This is a great question.
