The inspiring story behind the superb Sahel Sounds label
BRDCST is AB’s outstanding indoor spring festival spotlighting musical boundlessness.
The name is a direct reference to the retro futuristic electronica-pop of English band Broadcast that released inspiring albums like ‘Haha Sound’ and ‘Noise Made By The People’ over the past decade. Artists who feel strongly about musical innovation form the focal point for BRDCST. Our musical gut-feeling does the rest.
Sahel Sounds – the label/blog/project of Christopher Kirkley from Portland (Oregon) – focuses upon the multi-faceted music of the Sahel region in West Africa. Kirkley introduces the West to a flourishing music scene via acts like Mdou Moctar, Mamman Sani, Les Filles De Illighadad and the excellent compilations ‘Music For Saharan Cellphones’. Three young filmmakers, ensconced under the moniker Neopan Kollektiv, have made an excellent documentary about the label and its founder. This screening lasts 82 minutes.
“The film celebrates music performances by current artists from Niger and opens up a space to question our understanding of cultural exchange, musical connections and political structures. Against the backdrop of ever-growing globalization, although influenced by an unequal distribution of power, new possibilities for self-determination open up, these artists attempt to make it big – on the stage and on the mobile phones of their fans. Inspired by Christopher Kirkley’s work, the film overcomes cultural and geographical distances and offers a new perspective on a region which most of us only know as a crisis zone.”
Admittance is free of charge according to the principle ‘First come, first served.’
This also applies to those with a Limited BRDCST Festival Pass.