Stella Chiweshe, AWA and others
Curated by Melissa Perales
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| Free admission |
| Seats: ticket booking required. Advance booking: 21 days in advance. Some tickets may be available from the box office. Standing tickets: no booking required. |
| The event will also take place in case of bad weather. If necessary, rain ponchos will be distributed. Please comply with the hygiene rules below. |
| Doors open: 19:00 |
| English, German |
| Accessible for wheelchairs |
| Ground Floor, Schlüter Courtyard |
| Belongs to: Airing Out. Open Air in the Schlüter Courtyard |
A diverse programme with live concerts, DJ sets, discussions, video art and performances offers the spotlight on artists whose work is a statement for a polyphonic, hybrid, and interconnected idea of culture, history and identity, regardless of their musical genres or countries of origin.
Together, they aim to create an interdisciplinary and cross cultural stage which intersects with a local and global community, inviting the audience to celebrate their talents and be part of a dialogue. The Berlin-based music curator Melissa Perales has created a programme of events on the main stage to invite a diverse community of musicians, artists, performers, thinkers and activists into the Schlüter Courtyard. Melissa Perales said of her programme: “The audience is invited to join us on a journey: Over the course of six weeks, the programme will bring together a group of talents who claim space, through their music and words for a critical dialogue. Who bring forth their individual stories, ask difficult questions, and give a voice to their ancestors. Our hope is that this spark will continue beyond the summer in discussions inside the Humboldt Forum spaces, and resonate beyond.”
In this opening discussion, music curator Melissa Perales will be joined by General Director Hartmut Dorgerloh, along with others responsible for the content and curatorship of the Stiftung Humboldt Forum. What are their hopes for this stage programme, which has been developed by Melissa Perales in dialogue with the many participating Berliners and international artists? Can this event series, with its many diverse and critical personalities, musical traditions and stories, take inspiration from its title ‘Dürchlüften /Airing Out’ to create a lasting impact on the institution?
German with translation into English.
“Her majesty, the queen of mbira music from Zimbabwe”, as Stella Rambisai Chiweshe is affectionately known, is the first female artist to gain prestige and recognition in a previously male-dominated musical tradition: mbira music, known as the backbone of Zimbabwean music. Traditional mbira music (the word encompasses the instrument, the style and a whole culture) is a medium for making contact with the spirits of deceased ancestors to create a community among the listeners. Chiweshe, who lives in Zimbabwe and Berlin, draws an intense world of sound from the instrument, accompanying it with spoken words that are by turns melodic or rhythmic. She has spent more than 40 years expanding the conventions of traditional forms and breathing new life into them.
AWA stands for “African Women Arise”, and perfectly describes this fast-paced, edgy rap artist who prefers to write her lyrics in the Zimbabwean national language, Ndebele. The German-based artist defies cultural stereotypes and the difficulties associated with being a female MC. An award-winning hip-hop artist from Zimbabwe, she has toured in the UK, Australia, Switzerland, France and many other countries, always remaining faithful to her roots, wearing her traditional Ndebele robe on every stage she steps out onto. AWA also weaves her political stance into her performance by rapping about the realities of life for many African women of her generation.
Hygiene rules
- Visitors are required to complete the accreditation process before attending the event using the Robert Koch Institute’s “Corona Warn-App” (available via the Apple App Store and Google Play), which requires each visitor to submit their personal information.
- All visitors who are within the premises are required to carry along a medical mask that covers their nose and their mouth.
- Home-made coverings, scarves, cravats and non-medical masks are not considered acceptable replacements for medical masks.
- Visitors are required to wear their masks in all areas of the event where it is not possible to maintain a minimum social distance of 1.5m from other visitors. Masks may be removed when visitors are seated.
- There is no requirement for visitors to be tested for Covid-19 before visiting the daytime or evening events.