SA's Black Motion to headline Addis DJ Festival in Ethiopia

Organized by EML Events, the festival aims to give Ethiopia’s up-and-coming DJs a platform to showcase their talents.

This year's expanded programme sees the festival preceded by a week-long DJ workshop from Monday 9 May. Targeting DJs from various genres and disciplines, the workshop will cover issues basic DJing skills, the history of the DJs and their role in modern pop culture, scratching, MCing, remixing and mash-ups, riddim DJing and the specific art of the reggae DJ. The workshop will also explore beat-making, VJing (video/projection mapping) as well as music documentation and sound in general.

 “Addis DJ Festival’s mission is to help people learn about the business of DJing and to help people value this form of art,” says Eyueal Leulseged of EML Events. “DJing is an evolving art form that helps people discover the whole world of music, while also learning and enjoying the thrill of creating their own music and mixes. The event plans to increase knowledge of this great art form.”

The two-day main festival will showcase many of the top DJs in Ethiopia, alongside international artists such as DJ Ras Ifi from Malawi, Israeli hip-hop DJ Caress and Guang G from the USA.

Headlining will be Black Motion from South Africa, the SAMA-winning duo made up of Robert Mahosana (aka DJ Murda) and percussionist Thabo 'Smol' Mabogwane, whose fresh take on drum-driven house music is a collision of timeless, hypnotic rhythms and the dynamism of South Africa’s ever-growing house movement (which saw it named Dance Nation of the Year in Ibiza last year).

The Addis DJ Fest was first held in June 2011. The organisers hope that this year's expanded programming and workshops will boost public appreciation of the art of DJing. “We want to strengthen the bonds between tomorrow’s DJs and encourage their sense of community," they say. "We will work to increase the awareness and appreciation of DJ skills to the public - not just as a form of entertainment but also as a respectful way of making a living and as a form of art.”

For more information visit the organiser's website.