Popdeurope, Sounds: Afropean-A-Licious

Berlin, Germany – Popdeurope 2004 will be held July 17 – August 20,
2004, in Berlin, at the House of World Cultures. The festival stays true to the
search for the most exciting new pop sounds going down in European cities and
this year the event is dedicated to pop music’s roots, Africa.

Once again, Popdeurope is presenting six summer night sets, this time grouped
under the title of Sounds: Afropean-A-Licious, showcasing artists whose
lives may be centered in Europe but whose music explores non-European sounds and
styles. Afro-beat influences are very much evident in the Afro-Caribbean rhythms
laid down by P18, a project initiated by former Mano Negra keyboarder Tom Darnal,
and are similarly found shaping the cyber-tech-rock grooves pumped out by
Portuguese pop aliens Blasted Mechanism in their mix of futuristic sounds and
Angolan storytelling.Dancehall, hip-hop, R’n’B and soul – all styles long since advanced to global
pop-music languages, creating new urban sounds as local roots blend with the
pulse of their beats. As in past years, Popdeurope 2004 provides a broad
framework to pay tribute to these developments, offering club nights, video
installations, workshops, a photo exhibition on hip-hop in Senegal, and a CD
compilation.

Popdeurope 2003 saw more than 10,000 guests grooving to the six concerts, club
shows, and sound system nights at the House of World Cultures, helping to make
Popdeurope into one Berlin’s most successful music events last year.

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.

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