BERLIN, GERMANY: WASSERMUSIK 2012 SUMMER-OPEN-AIR-FESTIVAL

20.07.2012 - 12.08.2012
Süd-Süd (South-South) addresses the stylistic characteristics that emerged from cultural exchanges “beneath“ the European-colonial sphere of influence and/or the Anglo-American pop hegemony.

These include Champeta music, which is a result of the popularity of West African Highlife records among musicians along the Caribbean coast of Colombia, the Chutney of the ethnic Indian population of Trinidad, East African Taarab, a blend of Indian, Arab and African styles, and highly productive exchanges between Cuba and West Africa.

The film program accompanying Wassermusik complements the respective concert evenings: in addition to documentaries about musical genres, which portray the musicians themselves or the regions they come from, feature films will also be screened which draw parallels with the musical program. The open-air cinema will show films whose dramatic stories play out on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, in Trinidad, in Zanzibar, in West or East Africa.

Every summer since 2008, on the roof terrace of Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Wassermusik has been addressing issues related to water. Topics featured so far include Tiki, sea shanties, surfing music, port cities and rivers. Among the main performers were Lee Perry, The Mighty Sparrow, Mohamed Mounir, Juana Molina, zeitkratzer and The Surfaris. In the event of rain, the Haus exhibition hall is available as an alternative venue. The fourth edition of the festival in 2011 was the most successful so far: some 10,000 visitors enjoyed films, readings with Raúl Zurita and Abdelwahab Meddeb and concerts by Khaled, Tinariwen, Giant Sand, Amadou & Mariam and many others.
wassermusik website