Music In Africa presents Senegalese hip-hop event in Germany

With far in excess of 2 000 crews, Dakar is the center of African hip-hop culture. A particularly exciting development there is the way in which the creative and expressive use of language has become interwoven with the shaping of political opinion. As part of the Dox Dajé exchange program, Matador, MC P.P.S the Writah, Moussa Cire Dia, DJ Gee Bayss and the Senegalese rapper Keyti spent a week working with leading Munich-based musicians, engaging in mutual criticism, appreciation and discussion to develop creative new processes and fresh perspectives.

Now that this week is over, thoughts can turn to the following questions: What was this exchange able to achieve? What unites the hip-hop scenes and what divides them? Can communication take place beyond the normally so important textual level? Particularly exciting for its European counterpart is the way in which the Senegalese hip-hop scene has been able to exert an influence on political opinion. At the same time, it must also be considered what contribution a platform such as Music In Africa can make in this context, where the main goal is to promote interaction between artists in Africa and throughout the world. For those who are not yet familiar with Music In Africa, Eddie Hatitye will start out by presenting the portal and explaining its goal of becoming the leading source of information on music-making on the African continent.

The event will feature a presentation of the Music In Africa online platform and a panel discussion with:

• Jonathan Fischer, journalist and DJ (chair)
• Eddie Hatitye, Director of the Music In Africa Foundation
• Dietmar Lupfer, Director of Muffatwerk
• Amadou Fall Ba, Director and founder of the AfriCulturban hip-hop center
• Keyti, rapper from Dakar

What impact did the exchange have on the musicians' sound? The live concert at the Muffathalle, starting at 10pm, will provide the answer. More details here.

The Dox Dajé exchange program is an initiative of Muffatwerk and Association AfriCulturban. Music In Africa is a joint project organized by the Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut together with partners from all parts of Africa. The presentation and podium discussion will be held in English.