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Home / KP Illest, Lioness headline EUNIC Music Festival
KP Illest, Lioness headline EUNIC Music Festival
2018-05-21Staff Report 2 WINDHOEK - Namibian rappers KP Illest and Lioness were chosen to perform at the first ever European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) Cluster, in Namibia Music Festival to be hosted at the Warehouse Theatre on Saturday. KP is the Namibian Annual Music Awards’ Best Hip Hop artist for 2018. He writes songs reflecting the state of his society and speaks for the youth on issues that he thinks need to be addressed. Drop the base, tune the treble and prepare for lyrics of struggle, motivation and success. Also well known on the local music scene is the Lioness, who established herself with complex and tightly knit lyrical capabilities as a female rapper. She is straight to the point, speaks for women and does not have time for a flimsy man. The European line-up is a vivid combination of Soul, Hip-Hip, Rap and House music. French DJ Crabbe presents a mix of classics and the latest beats pumping on the dance floors across France, but with a unique inclusion of traditional African rhythms. From Portugal is Hip-Hop musician Valas, who presents a diverse set of soulful lyrics that have made it across more than 100 festivals in Europe. Last but not least is the loud and proud Chefboss from Germany and their group of flexible dancers that light up any stage with a phat bass and dancehall rhythm. This year is also the European Year of Cultural Heritage, which celebrates and shares Europe’s culture. “We look forward to DJ Crabbe’s unique style of mixing more than two electronic genres, from techno and house to African house and bass. This will not be his first performance in Southern Africa and we hope he can bring together musicians from Africa and Europe,” says director of the FNCC, Jerome Kohl. A limited number of early bird tickets to the concert at the Warehouse Theatre are available online at Events Today for N$100. Advance tickets are available at N$150 and N$200 at the door. A diverse set of beverages, a selection of European cuisine will be available from 17h00 onwards. The concert will follow a session of master classes at the College of the Arts. The initiative resulted from a brainstorming session between the Centro Diogo Cão, Goethe-Institute Namibia and Franco- Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) in partnership with the European Union (EU) delegation to Namibia. “This is an exciting intuitive that we hope provides Namibian and European musicians with the opportunity to exchange their creativity and skills. The music industry in Namibia is sporadic and hungry for inspiration that propels local musicians onto the international stage. We hope the master classes initiate that drive, while entertaining the public and introducing European artists to the scene in Namibia,” says Angelina Costa, Deputy Co-coordinator of Centro Diogo Cão, in Windhoek. The EUNIC Cluster in Namibia intends establishing the music festival as an annual event. “We have united with local partners and understand the important role that music plays in Namibia’s cultural development, but also that musicians in Namibia lack opportunities to get new ideas, experience new styles and network with artists from other countries. The local music scene is vibrant and we have identified the genres of Hip Hop, Soul and Funk as those with potential for international cooperation. The Namibian economy is slowing down and that is also affecting the music industry negatively so we hope this festival and its educational component contribute positively to the point of Namibians claiming ownership of the event in the future,” says Daniel Stoevesandt, Director of Goethe-Institute Namibia. Staff Reporter 2018-05-21Staff Report 2
