GUINTCHE (LIVE VERSION)

Guintche, a solo by Marlene Monteiro Freitas, conjures a shifting constellation of images in the minds of the audience. The performer appears at once singular and multiple, inhabiting a body in constant transformation. In this live version, accompanied by the musicians Henri “Cookie” Lesguillier and Simon Lacouture, the piece unfolds as an offering—both intimate and expansive.

The impulse for Guintche originated in a drawing by Monteiro Freitas of a jazz musician. From this initial image, the work gradually took on a life of its own, growing, mutating, and ultimately asserting its independence. The word “guintche,” derived from Cape Verdean Creole, evokes a multiplicity of meanings: a bird, a prostitute, an attitude, or something more elusive. This semantic openness feeds into a work of striking, almost sulphurous beauty.

For Monteiro Freitas, there is no hierarchy between sources: a musical score, a literary fragment, an image or an idea may all serve as points of departure. Guintche thus becomes a kaleidoscope of sensations, where the body is subjected to continuous metamorphosis. A relentless dialogue unfolds between pelvis and percussion, between gesture and rhythm.

Shifting between boxer, witch, and dancer, Monteiro Freitas inhabits multiple states at once. Never fixed, never singular, she becomes a figure in perpetual transition—restless, dissonant, and alive.

CONTENT WARNING
Guintche (Live Version) is intended for audiences aged 16+; it is not designed as a family or children’s show.