Njinga the Queen King; The Return of a Warrior

Njinga ruled 17th century Ndongo - now Angola - as 'king' because tribal custom forbade her to rule as a woman. Flowing freely between time periods, the play traces the diaspora of Njinga's people to Brazil and the United States. Oliveros' score along with the use of electronics and spatialization, provides an environment for the traditional African music, heightening the drama. As storytelling is a deeply-rooted element of African culture, Njinga features two Kilunda (spirit) characters who step in and out of the action, leading the viewers through the play. The final element in the mix is capoeira, the liquid, hybrid movement form - self-defense as dance - which has its roots in Angola and flourishes today in Brazil. This recording is based on the BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) Next Wave Festival performances of 1993.

A word of explanation and some historical background may be helpful. Njinga (1583-1663) was a remarkable female resident of 17th century Ndongo (present-day Angola) who bucked her society's tribal decree that forbade women to assume the throne, by posing as a king and ruling in her male guise. At once a skillful warrior and a cunning diplomat, she managed to keep the intimidating Portuguese armies at bay for over four decades. That chronicle served as the inspiration for a unique work of musical theater by composers Pauline Oliveros and Ione, titled Njinga. The play itself actually transcends the chronology of the eponymous ruler's life by tracing her descendants to countries including Brazil and the United States, and ultimately connects Njinga's story with that of a contemporary African American woman who has fallen out-of-touch with her heritage. The release includes a complete performance of Njinga, plus bonus features including the 1992 Stephen Barnwell documentary ANCESTRAL VOICES (which observes the 1992 workshops leading up to the first performance of Njinga) and the 2009 Victoria Kereszi short-subject documentary PEAK MOMENTS, which finds Oliveros and Ione reflecting on the 8-year development of Njinga and the work's impact and development in the years that followed its debut.