In Conversation: Titilope Sonuga & Andrew Burashko on Sankofa

Join poet Titilope Sonuga, who crafted a new libretto reimagining Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat, and Andrew Burashko, Artistic Director of the Art of Time Ensemble, as they discuss the world premiere of this bold new interpretation.

Through the journey of a fictional soldier attempting to enlist in WWI, this Soldier’s Tale is set against the historical context of the No. 2 Construction Battalion — the only Canadian battalion composed of Black soldiers to serve in the First World War. In a psychological battle with the devil on the road to enlisting, the soldier embodies their resilience and enduring struggle against racism, discrimination, and historical erasure.

Like the symbol of the Sankofa bird from which this story draws its name (a word in the Twi language of Ghana which means to go back and retrieve what was forgotten), this work blends past and future as the rhythm of Sonuga’s poetry weaves through Stravinsky’s original music. Sankofa is an invitation to honour a difficult history while moving toward a more promising future.

Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold, presented by Art of Time Ensemble in association with Koffler Arts and The Glenn Gould School, will be performed from Thursday, October 24 through Sunday, October 27 at Harbourfront Centre Theatre. For information and tickets, please visit https://harbourfrontcentre.com/event/sankofa-the-soldiers-tale-retold/