Parallel to the film festival, Berlinale, several local organisations are organising a counter-program. Falastin Cinema Week is hosted by Refuge Worldwide, AL.Berlin, Jewish Bund, Diaspora Rising and many others. From 17 to 21st of February, you can experience film screenings, talks, and art exploring Palestinian histories and decolonial narratives.
The artists Najib and Ahmed Eid collaborated with several other musicians on the release of "Spirit Of the Soul روح الروح". The song pays tribute to the recently killed Palestinian man Khaled Nabhan and his granddaughter Reem. Proceeds from this soli release will go towards supporting humanitarian efforts in the region.
Berlin-based singer AKA Kelzz just released their debut record, "Odyssey". On it, they break boxes and express themselves authentically. Author Anna Grubauer met the artist to talk about their musical journey, the importance of talking about mental health struggles, and how they danced and cried throughout the recording.
The Ukrainian singer and composer Ganna Gryniva retells stories from Ukrainian folklore. Based in Berlin, she elaborates on tradition with jazz and electronic elements like loops and synthesisers. In conversation with Sophie Romy, she speaks about her songwriting process and her ways of incorporating tradition into music.
When examining gender representation in the music industry, we mostly see cis men. Efforts to be more inclusive tend, more often than not, to focus on cis women as so-called "female" representation. Four artists who contributed to the "Soli Tunes" Compilation—6zm, Venusloc, Strip Down, and Mad Kate—reflect on why that is problematic and what could be done better.
The voice becomes a dancer in this collaboration. The composer and pianist Koki Nakano and soul singer Wayne Snow got together on the forthcoming release "Ululō". Anna Grubauer spoke to the artists about their approach to collaboration.
This year, the Berliner XJAZZ! Festival premiered their first album. "Entangled Grounds" is a collaborative effort, much in the spirit of the event. Each song features a different artist from the local jazz scene and their (re)interpretations of the genre. Anna Grubauer experienced the festival and spoke to artists and organisers about the recording process.
Singer and songwriter Ditty makes music that is uplifting while talking about important societal and political themes. Based between Berlin and New Delhi, she just released her new EP "Skin". In conversation with OFFKEY editor Nadia Says, Ditty shares thoughts on her music as well as her work as an ecologist.
