'Our Eyes Are Toward God' is a work by TD Moyo and Renell Shaw, with a libretto by April Koyejo-Audiger, exploring the experiences of Black Britons in the form of opera. This performance at the Barbican Centre in London tells a heartbreaking story of two cousins, Adjani and Kamal, who reach a final night filled with memories, celebrations, and violent tragedies following Adjani's decision to leave Liverpool for London.
An Experience of Pain and Sorrow
This work is born from Moyo's personal grief for his brother, who was murdered in South London, as well as the global outrage following George Floyd's death. In this story, Moyo intertwines two threads of sorrow and anger to showcase whether there exists a genre that can capture the baroque and intense emotions of this tale.
In this opera, Adjani and Kamal, with an uncertain past and future, share all their memories and feelings in the midst of the night. Emotional and painful phrases, such as 'no ocean is deep enough to hold the tears of these Black boys,' vividly represent the depth of their emotions and experiences.
An Unparalleled Performance
This innovative opera, combining various elements including rap, reggae, and aria, compellingly and distinctively portrays the bittersweet realities of Black life in Britain. In this world filled with violence and discrimination, can there be hope for change? 'Our Eyes Are Toward God' effectively illustrates that this question remains unanswered.
