Courtesy of Reference Studios.
Louisiana and Germany aren’t usually thought of as sister cities (at best, they’re distant cousins by marriage), but this week HOODOO opened in the capital to bring a contrasting sensory experience to Berlin. Centred on the Creole Joe Band, the immersive experience explored Southern Louisiana through music, art installations, acting, dance, cuisine and folk magic, known as hoodoo.
The brainchild of Nick Sample (the son of Creole Joe founder, Joe Sample), and Victoria Lucai, the show transformed Berlin’s Spiegelpalast into a maze connecting different versions of Louisiana. The band took to the stage in the “backwoods” area, reminiscent of the swampy environment surrounding the lakes in the south of the state, while actors went in and out of the living room, motel room, kitchen, and piano parlour constructed in the back, all furnished to feel equally nostalgic and surreal. Dancers, choreographed by M.J. Harper, moved through the scenery in costumes by Berlin-based designer, Nhu Duong.
Although the funk and zydeco music is a departure from the techno music that usually rattles the walls of Berlin and the Po-boy sandwiches were not quite the dönner kebabs the crowd was used to, the celebration managed to translate to a full dance floor. The show premiered on Wednesday and runs through to 19 May.
Check out photos from the opening night below:
Courtesy of Reference Studios.