SLĀV: Your Opinion?

[Poissonche 12,366]

SLĀV is a show presented right now at Montreal Jazz Fest. Now, I haven't seen the show myself, but what I understood is that it's kind of like a historical musical about North American slavery, using "slave songs", you know, the songs slaves used to sing. The goal of its creators, apparently, was to shed light on the history of slavery, some parts which were still obscure, to give a voice to these figures of the past; ultimately, it's a show about human pain. I'm sorry for being vague, I haven't seen the show.

However, there is a controversy going on right now: the two main figures in the creative/research process of SLĀV, lead singer Betty Bonifassi and director Robert Lepage, are both white. The people protesting against the show have a very valid argument: these white people are making profit off the history suffering of black people, in a world where racial inequality is still very present. However, they stated themselves they were not going to watch the show. According to Bonifassi, who's been singing these slave songs and researching a lot for the show for years, her main goal by creating this show was to give a bigger public to these slave songs, and ultimately, to these slaves' voices, and to break the barriers between skin colours, to show everyone is human. Some see this last part as noble, some link it to "All Lives Matter". Again, I haven't seen the show, probably won't see it because I'm a broke bitch, but I wanted to know your opinion: does SLĀV look like cultural appropriation or appreciation to you? I feel like both sides have good points, so I don't know what to think.

Here are two articles about the controversy so you can understand better, because I know I'm messy when I try to explain stuff (you can search more online if these two don't satisfy you):

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/article-montreal-street-protest-erupts-over-robert-lepage-racist-production/

http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/local-arts/jazz-fest-slav-not-cultural-appropriation-says-bonifassi

[LOVE JUNKIE 3,299]

Slave songs aren't for white people to be singing period. They can research and give money to support this kind of thing but this should be spearheaded and performed by black musicians.

[geopang 4,831]

Bonifassi is such an amazing singer. I do think however that this should be an event backed with black individuals who can sing/speak about slavery. 

[Dunk96 2,526]

I was thinking of that Ren & Stimpy episode about that door-to-door salesman trying to sell them that Salve stuff lmfao.