Creative Direction, Panels & Moderation, Artist Caring & Production
Electropark Festival è un’iniziativa di Forevergreen.fm Associazione Impresa Sociale attiva da 10 anni sul territorio ligure, e più specificamente genovese.
Quest’anno Electropark ha consultato NoOx per proporre alcuni artisti internazionali, secondo una linea di direzione artistica, curarne le relazioni prima, durante e dopo il festival, creare e moderare due panels contestuali, creando delle partnerships strategiche.
Gli artisti che abbiamo proposto attraverso NoOx sono Liliane Chlela (Libano/Canada) e Authentically Plastic (Uganda/UK). Entrambe le proposte fanno parte di diversi network al quale siamo connessi e che crediamo siano realtà non solo strategiche ma anche innovative, sostenibili ed inclusive.
I partner di questa edizione sono stati, da una parte, Keychange.Eu, Equaly, Music Innovation Hub e dall’altra, Nyege Nyege, We Africans United, The Global Youth Africa Dialogue.
**Scopri di più in fondo.
Authentically Plastic (they/them) si sono esibit* nella notte tra il venerdì e sabato 15 luglio, presso Virgo Club e ha presentato attraverso il loro Hybrid Dj Set i sound sperimentali, nati dai crossovers internazionali, di diaspora afro e africana, dalle sonorità east / south african (come la GQom) e dagli aspetti di ricerca sonora nati dal collettivo di AP, Anti Mass (Vogue…): un collettivo che rappresenta uno safe space per la community LGBTQA+ e l’espressione musicale di essa assieme ai sostenitori di un messaggio di libertà che diventa per forza politico attraverso danze, stile, linguaggi musicali ed extravaganza.
Liliane Chlela (she/her), ha fatto sorgere il sole, tra sabato e domenica 16 luglio, all’alba del promontorio di Portofino, sulla passeggiata di Nervi presso il Bonfim Club.
Sound internazionali, combinati coi suoni ricercati dello SWANA (South West Asia North Africa, un termine decolonizzato che si riferisce al “Middle East”) e quelli di Liliane e del suo collettivo (Jidariyya) che si riferisce alla community gender expansive che produce, crea, ascolta, vive e balla la musica elettronica a Beirut (Libano).
Le note comuni tra le due proposte?
- La musica elettronica declinata nelle sue varie forme ed interpretazioni, a seconda delle community di riferimento e di radice.
- La voglia di sperimentazione, inclusione (con la I maiuscola), ribaltare gli stereotipi e dare voce alle community in un senso ampio di intersezionalità ed internazionalizzazione.
- Degli epici DJ Set dalle vibe e respiro internazionali.
PANELS/TALKS
NoOx Worldwide ha introdotto due panels in lingua inglese, nelle giornate del 14 e 15 luglio 2023.
Nel 2023 “generi musicali” è un termine un po’ “polveroso”, ma “music styles” potrebbe essere più appropriato, lasciando spazio alle sperimentazioni e incontro di attitudini, origini, sounds, espressioni, linguaggi e dialoghi cross-cuturali ( e “crossover”) , abbandonando così le classificazioni limitanti.
La cultura occideentale (e l’etnomusicologia) per esempio, negli anni hanno limitato e definito la musica dall’Africa e dalla sua diaspora sotto l’ombrello generico della “World Music”.
Giovani africani, Afro discendenti e molti professionisti non-afro / africani stanno ora creando communities, iniziative, imprese che rafforzino e esportino specifiche culture attraverso storytelling non stereotipati, informando le audience globalmente.
Music, entertainment, media, events, best practices, diventano, quindi, strumenti per rappresentare le audiences e i loro bisogni, trends, gusti e diversità.
Dall’Uganda, UK, Rwanda, Netherlands, Italia, Brasile e Nigeria, i nostri ospiti rappresentano il contemporaneo dialogo cross-culturale che unisce communities e crea opportunità intersezionali ed internazionali, energie per innovare le culture attraverso la loro fusione e consapevolezza.
Il panel ha espresso tematiche riguardo i sound Afro urban ed elettronici, social innovation e attivismo attraverso musica e media, giovani generazioni spinte ad essere storytellers delle loro stesse communities.
Ospiti del panel sono: Silvia Nocentini (CEO, Artist Manager & Creative Director NoOx Worldwide), Authentically Plastic (Artist, Dj & Producer ), Juba (Artist & Dj), Amadu Kunta Akil Bumbesia (Podcaster We Africans United & Pan Africanist), Humuza Gisa Roick (Founder and Executive director of Global Africa Youth Dialogue)
Dallo SWANA alle diverse diaspore, le underrepresented communities, Sub Saharan Africa, Europe-Italy: la mission si rivolge al mondo intero, worldwide, attraverso i suoi creativi, professionisti ed organizzazioni che esistono per decostruire sistemi, generando cambiamento e opportunità.
Guest di questo panel sono stat*: Silvia Nocentini (CEO, Artist Manager & Creative Director NoOx Worldwide), Mabel Kermit (Dj, Vocalist), Sarah Parisio (Keychange EU/IT & Music Innovation Hub) & Alice Salvalai (Equally), Claudia Calabresi (transfeminist activist, podcaster & writer).
Best practices e modelli nell’ecosistema della music industry composto da diversity & inclusion, internazionalizzazione, decostruzione, sustainable thinking, innovazione, cambiamenti e opportunità sociali.
Anche grazie alla musica e il suo ecosistema che possiamo parlare di innovazione e inclusione intersezionale, con la “I” maiuscola.
Investigando diversi punti di vista è possibile scoprire, ricercare e sviluppare mercati creativi, assieme ai loro stakeholders e innovatori, superando quelle barriere sociali, diplomatiche ed economiche attivando awareness e azioni guidate.
Progettare attraverso la musica in aree di conflitto o in mercati alternativi (underrepresented o fuori dal focus occidentalocentrico -UK / US / EUROPE) attraverso vision & mission innovative, internazionali e inclusive.
Artists, Panelists & Partners
‘Authentically Plastic’ is an Artist, DJ & Producer based in Kampala, Uganda. Their genre-bending sets, at once dark and playful, use Gqom, Vogue & Techno as a base for exploring other unknown sounds. Their music is influenced by anything from quasi-electronic Northern Ugandan rhythms, to early acid experiments, and live noise/industrial shows. They got their start playing at secretive queer parties in the city (Kampala); which eventually led to their first festival gig at ‘Nyege Nyege’. Since then, they have played in several venues around the city for parties like Malkia (Queen) & Boutiq Electronique, continuously exploring and reinventing their style. Authentically Plastic also curates a bi-monthly club night in Kampala called ANTI-MASS; which prioritizes femme, queer & experimental DJ’s/artists. They describe ANTI-MASS as a “nomadic, femme, dance machine”. The party attracts a diverse, dedicated crowd, and aims to be a propulsive space for sonic & cultural experimentation.
Authentically Plastic’s debut solo album was released in September 2022 on Hakuna Kulala.
from Milan. Works in the music industry. Graduated in Philosophical Sciences and with a postgraduate diploma in Critical Theory, she has experience as a music journalist, festival organizer, label manager, music business teacher. She is an expert on gender equality and DEI, with a particular focus on issues concerning people with disabilities in the creative industries.
She has been part of the Equaly team since 2022, and in 2023 she was selected to represent Italy as an innovator within the international Keychange project.
works at Music Innovation Hub, as Project Manager for socially responsible projects, such as the European Keychange programme, which aims to achieve gender equality in the music industry, and the ESG protocol for the creation of sustainable live events. She is also the co-founder of N’SeaYet, a non-profit association for environmental protection and education.
Based In Rome/Italy. Gisa Is a Rwandan-African Youth activist and Graduate in Global Governance, who devoted his life to the services of humanity and Youth empowerment. Curious to contribute and find ways to build bridges and connect the African Continent towards the “Africa We want” Dream.
Gisa is the Founder and Executive director of Global Africa Youth Dialogue, an intergenerational dialogue and leadership development program initiated in Rome/Italy to advocate for diaspora African youth engagement in Africa’s development agendas, policy and decision making process.
In 2017, He founded signboard of youth destiny_Africa, a youth-led non profit organization with over 500 volunteers in Rwanda and Burundi, Aiming to empower and transform region youth into servant leaders, with a major focus of inspiring the betterment of society through social welfare initiatives (Child Education and Character development programs).
He is a prolific speaker and has spoken at the Danish Parliament, CUCS 2022 Naples conference, Italy-Africa Business forum, Global Conversation at University of Rome Tor Vergata (B.A Global Governance) etc..
Gisa’s Work has been featured in news outlets including Igihe and Africanews.
Conduttore del podcast Katiopa di We Africans United. Appassionato e studioso di cinema e musica, adatta il suo pensiero musicale al mondo del cinema. Per lui We Africans United, è una coscientizzazione da parte delle persone, affinché sappiano che la storia Africana è innovazione, cultura, storia, resistenze, e molto altro. Il podcast Katiopa, parte di We Africans United, introduce: cultura, storia, resistenze, cinema, musica e molti altri argomenti e avvenimenti interessanti rispetto al mondo Afro. Ogni mese esce un episodio, dove ci sono, inoltre, spazi dedicati, ad aneddoti e notizie: Udadisi, e Mwezi Ya Habari, in lingua Swahili, la lingua ufficiale del Panafricanismo, e presto saranno in Bamiléké. A condurre Udadisi, Mwezi Ya Habari e le interviste, lo stesso e Christian Kamsu, il fratello di Sarah Kamsu, la fondatrice di WAU.
With her distinct sound signature, Liliane Chlela has for over ten years pushed the boundaries of experimental and electronic music in Lebanon and its neighboring region, both as a solo artist and via her various domestic and international projects.
Invested in community work on a local and diasporic level, Liliane co-founded “Jidariyya” in 2021 in Beirut: a music collective that advocates for womxn and LBGTQIA+ artists, as well as music enthusiasts residing in Lebanon. The collective creates visibility to its community through workshops, showcases and community networking while navigating challenging socio-economic conditions Lebanon has been enduring since 2019.
After relocating to Montreal, Liliane was also selected for the Keychange 2022 cohort representing Canada.
With her distinct sound treatment and signature improvised performances, Liliane Chlela has been pushing forward the boundaries of ‘Experimental and Electronic
Music’ in Lebanon and the Middle East/West Asia and North Africa for over a decade both as a solo artist and via her various local and international collective projects.
She constructs a characteristic sound both as a composer/producer and as a live musician. She further explores the connections between improvisation and sound treatment by approaching numerous musical genres with her signature techniques.
Liliane has also further developed her know-how by working with moving images, film, interactive installations, performance art, contemporary dance, fashion shows and film. Resulting in that is a wide sound palette, making Chlela one of the most versatile female producers/musicians in the Middle East/West Asia and North Africa.
Ecuadorian born, class 1986, now in Italy.
Music has always played a central role in Mabel’s life.
After having spent her youth working alongside dj’s and promoters in Italy,
creating and collaborating in various organizations of Urban events, Mabel finally decided to take the next step: become a DJ.
Her 360° passion and love of music coming from a Black Culture background led her to
create a dynamic, Afro Urban sound, which immediately distinguishes her as a DJ and
captures the dancefloor.
Whether she’s spinning Afrobeats, Afrohouse, Dancehall, Basshall or classic Hip Hop & R’n’B, you are sure to be mesmerized and captured by her musical talent, presence, sound and
style.
Dj resident in various soirèes now she’s available to fire the dance-floors up worldwide!
Characterized by her thrilling blends and effervescent energy, Juba has steadily built a reputation as a confident, skilful and daring DJ, who champions African and African diasporic sounds across Europe and beyond.
A child of the Nigerian diaspora in the UK, since 2016 Juba has been paying musical homage to her heritage as a DJ who principally showcases music from Africa and the African diaspora, whilst drawing on other electronic musical influences.
As a regular host on Berlin’s Cashmere Radio, core member of London’s Boko! Boko! collective and creator of the Assurance Documentary and Podcast, not only is she a skilled DJ, but she also utilizes her platforms to explore socio-political issues surrounding the world of music.
In recent years the buzz around Juba grew, with DJ sets at Panorama Bar, Peacock Society Festival, Keep Hush and a sensational Boiler Room debut in 2019. Her electrifying sets reinforce that not only is she a captivating DJ, but a skilled craftsman whose unique energy brings any party to boiling point.
Claudia is a transfeminist activist, podcaster and writer from Genova. They conduct Evergreen podcast, a podcast exploring new social and ecologist sustainable paths through music and activism, and Radical Queer, a podcast about transfeminism and queer culture created with Elisa Casaleggio. Currently, they are a Cinema and Gender Studies PhD researcher at Johns Hopkins of Baltimore.
OUR PARTNERS
The first Italian reality that deals with gender equality within the music business.
Equaly is a community made up of creative and professionals united to network and to work against gender discrimination.
Keychange is a movement fighting for a sustainable music industry.
Support talented but underrepresented artists and encourage organizations to take a pledge for gender equality.
Formed as a club night in Kampala with the aim to create a space where homegrown, East African DJs, musicians and artists could take risks playing a wide range of sounds in a safe and supportive environment; a place where like-minded people could hang out and enjoy music, share ideas and become friends.
The motivations behind the night, and the emergence of a community around it, form the basis for every subsequent project, including a music festival, a professional community recording studio and residency space and two record labels (Nyege Nyege Tapes & Hakuna Kulala) all integrated into a holistic incubation platform to support the underground music community. For more than two years now the collective also runs its own booking agency.
Using their collective expertise to produce, programme and curate, Nyege Nyege is focused on exploring new, boundary-pushing ways to platform and champion an emerging generation of creatives.
Nyege Nyege Festival started as a small rave at the source of the Nile in Jinja, Uganda and quickly became known as a legendary 4 day 24/7 dance and music extravaganza, showcasing cutting edge music over 6 stages and leaving audiences with a transformational experience. Fact called it the best electronic music festival in the world, mixmag called it the most punk festival in the world. Welcoming over 15,000 people from all over East Africa and the world, as well as bookers, programmers, talent scouts and music heads coming to discover the most exciting contemporary and traditional African music, both a showcase and an insane party, this one is at the top of any festival lover’s bucket list.
We Africans United is a social project born around 2021. From a simple Instagram page it has become an information channel, a community and a real application.
The aim of everything is to make the Afro world, its history, its culture known by pursuing a different narrative, that of Afro-descendants in Italy.
We Africans United today creates information content, collaborates to bring new points of view to the table, organizes events to get to know each other and connect.
THE GLOBAL AFRICA YOUTH DIALOGUE (GAYD)
It Is an Youth Led Initiative, Dedicated to advocate for meaningful youth engagement in Africa’s development plans and create exchange opportunities for African youth in the diaspora to gain first-hand knowledge and foster their understanding of the functions and principles adopted at Afro-Institutions at continental level.
Our purpose is to raise awareness about meaningful youth engagement in decision
and policy making, address diverse challenges and unmet needs of youth in Africa/diaspora for meaningful participation, strengthen and spread awareness of available commitments on youth engagement at the continental level, and create a modality platform for youth to plot strategic actions, negotiate, resolve conflicts and navigate possible solutions that affect Africa and the world’s agenda amicably.
GAYD objectives include providing an overview of African youth potential in achieving the “Africa We Want,” sharing good practices and practical approaches for peer learning on how young people could be engaged in the decision and policy-making process, and exploring key challenges and opportunities such as how to build and use available youth opportunities in Africa and the role of the African diaspora in transforming the African dream into a reality. With their diverse backgrounds and experiences, GAYD project is committed to making a positive impact on the future of African youth.
MIH implements innovative and socially responsible projects in the music sector.
Born in Milan in 2018, it is the first social enterprise spa in Italy to deal with music, and it is owned by the Giordano dell’Amore Social Venture Foundation – a social impact investment fund of the Cariplo Foundation -, by OxA srl and by Music Management Club .
It develops solutions to support the growth of the music supply chain and its stakeholders and we accompany companies towards a more sustainable future through music projects. We promote international training, incubation, acceleration and networking programs such as Music Tech Europe, CreativeSHIFT and JUMP, we create solidarity projects such as Scena Unita and COVID-19 “Let’s support music” in response to the 2020 health crisis and in support of workers in the music industry. We produce formats and events, including Heroes, the first major hybrid concert in the history of Italian music and Linecheck, the most important international networking event for the Italian music supply chain. MIH has created and manages the musicROOMS of BASE Milano, a multipurpose meeting point for professionals in the music sector.
MIH looks to Music as a driver of social innovation: Music is Social Change.
Listen to EVERGREEN PODCAST, il podcast di Electropark curato da Claudia Calabresi, in cui ci siamo noi di NoOx, la nostra puntata pre-festival e i nostri panels, on air su Cashemere Radio di Berlino.
Articolo scritto by Silvia Nocentini with <3
**Ph Credits: Silvia Aresca & Emanuela Zampa**
