Adweknow attended the screening of the first episode of Black Santiago Club last Wednesday (July 5) at Mediawan, in the presence of the producers (Canal+, Mediawan, and Keewu Productions).
In a packed theater, we were able to discover this series in (almost) preview, as it has been available to Canal+ Première subscribers since July 3.
The series carried with it a lot of expectations, as the project had been in preparation for several years and aimed to meet European production standards.
After brief speeches by the producers highlighting their shared desire to reproduce this type of project together, it's time to turn off the lights and let the black screen work its magic.
The first episode largely lives up to expectations; it is well produced, well directed, and well acted.
The series tells the legend of a club in Cotonou where the great Black Santiago orchestra performs every night. When a developer sets his sights on the land to build a marina, a family of eccentric musicians stubbornly sets out to thwart his plans: owner Antoine, who is at odds with his son Théo, a brilliant saxophonist, and Sika, a young singer whose obvious talent will give new meaning to his life and breathe new life into the orchestra.
Although two directors shared the work and their plans are intertwined, this is not noticeable in this first episode, which is full of twists and turns, introducing colorful characters and the perfect music of the Black Santiago band!
This is obviously not the first project of this scale on the continent, but they are rare enough to be highlighted and, we hope, seen and shared by as many people as possible!
The series has been available to Canal+ Première subscribers since July 3.