‘The Book of Life’: How one artist creates healing out of tragedy
How can a nation heal from unspeakable tragedy? For Odile Gakire Katese, or “Kiki,” as she’s known, celebrating life must take precedence over the details of death. Ms. Katese is a Rwandan playwright, performer, director, and cultural entrepreneur. She uses her talents to create a different legacy around the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which more than 800,000 people are estimated to have been murdered, in her work, “The Book of Life.”
Instead of focusing on the horror, Ms. Katese, who grew up in exile with her family in the Democratic Republic of Congo, makes retelling the life stories of those who have been lost the centerpiece of her performance. “The Book of Life” features a collection of letters – Rwanda’s first all-female percussion group, founded by Ms. Katese in 2004 – provide accompaniment.
