UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

06/15/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/16/2022 08:08

UNESCO Transcultura will support three Caribbean hip-hop bands to perform in Europe

The selection committee of the UNESCO Transcultura Call for Young Caribbean Hip-Hop Artists has chosen the artistic projects Règleman Afè Popilé feat. Vanessa Jeudi, from Haiti, DelmaT1, from the Dominican Republic, and Alexx A-Game, from Jamaica, to perform in the framework of The Caribbean hip-hop beat in Europe. This event, organized by the UNESCO Transcultura programme in collaboration with the Goethe Institut and the Centre for InterAmerican Studies of the Bielefeld University (Germany), will take place from 28 to 31 July 2022 in Berlin, Germany, during the International Festival and Symposium 'Re-inventing Europe from the Caribbean. Urban Cultures, Translocal Identities and Social Movements in the Black Atlantic'.

The three bands, corresponding to each one of the linguistic areas covered by the Transcultura programme (English, French and Spanish), were selected out of 47 proposals from 10 of the 17 Transcultura beneficiary countries.

The selection committee, made up of important figures of the Caribbean hip-hop scene from Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti, partner institutions and representatives of the UNESCO Transcultura programme, underlined the quality of the selected artistic proposals. It also emphasized their relevance to the theme of the festival and symposium, which revolves around the role of hip-hop as a platform for social inclusion and cultural exchange.

The artists will have the opportunity to showcase their music and participate in promotional and exchange activities with key stakeholders from the German hip-hop and music market. Through this international exposure, they will strengthen their visibility on the European circuit, establish networks and improve their professional development opportunities.

The Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity programme, implemented by UNESCO and funded by the European Union, seeks to harness diversity and build bridges between peoples and cultures from different linguistic areas. To achieve this, it relies on both strengthening capacities and creating opportunities for young professionals in the Caribbean.

Règleman Afè Popilè and Vanessa Jeudi (Haiti)

Règleman Afè Popilè (RAP) is a rap group founded in 2012 based on the study of Haiti's history and the way Haitians live and celebrate, but also how they face the adversities of colonial modernity. Singing in Haitian Creole, its music is influenced by other rhythms of African descent. Vanessa Jeudi is a member of this collective who has also developed a career as a solo artist. In her musical compositions and her stage performances, her decolonial feminist convictions stand out and guide her.

DelmaT1 (Dominican Republic)

DelmaT1 is a Dominican urban artist of Haitian descent from the eastern region of the Dominican Republic. He creates his music as a means of being an example to his peers, Dominicans of Haitian descent who are discriminated against and are part of the most vulnerable population in the Dominican Republic.

Alexx A-Game (Jamaica)

Alexx A-Game is a solo artist, former lead singer and bass player of Di Blueprint band (2012 winners of the Global Battle of The Bands). He has created a unique sound which fuses different styles and genres of music to transmit his message, while still managing to maintain his original Jamaican sound and influence.