The Grief of Red Granny is the first part of a diptych on individual and collective grief. In his new AfrOpera, Gorges Ocloo places the central focus on Elisabeth, the third Queen of Belgium, aka the Red Granny. Through her story, he gives space and a voice to those who do not have an opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones in person: the victims of wars, pandemics, terrorist attacks….

With his characteristic surreal imagery, Ocloo presents the enigmatic queen in the Garden of Eden. Here, in her ‘after death’, Elisabeth looks back on her life and speaks to us, accompanied by six angels: three vocalists and three instrumentalists, all from South Africa. The musical leitmotif is Stabat Mater by Pergolesi. “I will bring Pergolesi to my Voodoo church”, says Ocloo. His radical arrangement of this famous composition draws inspiration from African funerals. A musical confrontation between cultures. A universal sound of sorrow and celebration.