LusAfro

Here in Germany, Portuguese-language (Lusophone) music from African countries is even lesser known than Francophone or Anglophone African music. Apart from the world-famous Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora, there is a multifaceted scene of Lusophone music spanning diverse styles and genres, from Kuduru from Angola to Marrabenta from Mozambique to Hip Hop from Cape Verde. Together with the Cape Verdean label Harmonia, the music label Piranha Arts is organising a series of workshops and concerts in Germany and on Cape Verde titled “LusAfro” featuring musicians from Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé & Príncipe, Cape Verde and Germany.

Under the artistic direction of the musician/journalist duo Daniel Haaksman and Francis Gay, the three-phased project “LusAfro” will encourage artistic exchange and help to create effective, sustainable networks between Lusophone African and German artists in the long term. The project will begin with a joint series of workshops and concerts as part of the Atlantic Music Expo (AME) in Praia. The non-profit music expo AME was established on Cape Verde in 2013 as an annual forum for musicians and music professionals from Africa and the Atlantic region. Meanwhile, it has become one of the most important meeting places for the Lusophone scene in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has also become something of a post-colonial think-tank devoted to strengthening the African music sector and transatlantic relations.

In the second phase of the project, the participating musicians will present their latest work at the open-air road festival “Odyssey” by the WDR broadcaster Funkhaus Europa and at the Bardentreffen in Nuremberg. The project will conclude with concerts performed at the WDR event series “Big Up!” in Berlin.

The resulting music productions will be compiled and published online and released on CD. The project will be accompanied by a blog and video documentary.

Artistic directors: Daniel Haaksman (DE), Francis Gay (DE/FR)

Artists: Alberto Koening (CV), Africaine 808 (GER), Batchart (CV), Buruntuma (GW / PT), Ceuzany (CV), Conductor (AO / PT), Dama do Bling (MZ), Daniel Haaksman (GER), Dino D´Santiago (CV / PT), DJ Marfox (ST / PT), Djox (CV), Fattú Diakité (CV), Gato Preto (MZ / GER), Helio Batalha (CV), Kalaf Epalanga (AO / GER), Mister Santos (GER / PT), Nissah Barboza (CV), Rapaz 100 Juiz (CV), Seiji (GB / GER)