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Two Caribbean hip-hop bands perform in Europe for the first time thanks to UNESCO Transcultura |
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30 July 2022/ UNESCO Havana
From 29 to 30 July 2022, the festival and symposium Urban counter-cultures and social movements in the Black Atlantic took place in Berlin, Germany. It was organized by the Centre for InterAmerican Studies of Bielefeld University and the Goethe Institute with the presence of artists and researchers from Cuba, the Caribbean and Germany. The UNESCO Transcultura programme, funded by the European Union, supported the participation in this event of the Caribbean hip-hop artists Alexx A-Game, from Jamaica, and Delma T1, from the Dominican Republic, both of whom were selected through an open call. The musicians gave a concert on 29 July at the SAVVY Contemporary cultural centre in Berlin, in the first presentation of their artistic projects in Europe.
"After being selected to participate in this festival in Berlin, I have been contacted by other festivals in Europe. This UNESCO Transcultura opportunity has been a real gamechanger because it has opened up additional doors and has inspired me to push further to take my music abroad."
Alexx A-Game (Jamaica), hip-hop artist
In addition, the artists have participated in exchange activities with relevant stakeholders of the German hip-hop scene, with the aim of strengthening the creative dialogue and expanding their network of contacts for future professional opportunities. Hip-hop, which plays an important role as a vehicle of expression and identity-building for the Afro-Caribbean diaspora in Europe, has thus served as an intercultural bridge between the two sides of the Atlantic.
"Presenting my work for the first time in Europe and connecting with people and projects from other cultures has been a very special opportunity. It has been a way to get recognition of my work, gather confidence in what I do and inspire me to continue evolving as an artist."
Delma T1 (Dominican Republic), hip-hop artist
The event has explored the potential of hip-hop as a cultural tool of resilience and advocacy against social exclusion, racism, sexism, colonial heritage and persisting inequalities, by providing underrepresented voices with a platform to make their experiences, life stories and artistic products more visible in the European context. Organized around the thematic of the Cuban hip-hop scene under the name of #hiphophavanaberlin, the event has widened its scope in 2022 to other Caribbean artists and linguistic areas, thanks to the UNESCO Transcultura programme.
The UNESCO programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through culture and creativity harnesses the Caribbean’s rich cultural diversity and turns it into a driver for sustainable development, through exchange and cooperation in the region and with the European Union.
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Related Link(s): Cultural Industries, Cultural Diversity, Cultural Policies, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
, Culture and Development |
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