Wassermusik was first held in 2008, which makes the 2017 edition number 10. On the occasion of this anniversary we will be celebrating the summer festival itself, not forgetting its view of the Spree. A number of the groups and artists that have provided especially magical moments will be returning, with the makers of Wassermusik drawing on the entire geographical range of the last nine editions, from “Surf and Tiki” (2008), “Deserts” (2011), “The New Pacific” (2013), or “Mother India” (2015), to “The Other Caribbean” (2016). And new guests will also be making an appearance: Like every festival Wassermusik has a wish list of artists which it has invited but who had to cancel there concerts due to adverse circumstances. Wassermusik X will now fulfill a number of these long held wishes.
The bold and carefully selected musical program will enthrall with a wealth of highlights. The exceptional guitarist and NoWave legend Arto Lindsay will headline the opening concert on 21/07, while the spectacular finale on 13/08 will feature Khaled, the internationally renowned megastar of the Algerian desert Blues called Raï. No one has exerted such a profound influence on the pop music of South Africa than Abdullah Ibrahim. Oumou Sangaré, one of Mali’s greatest voices, has recently released a new single following a long abstinence. An authority in Bossa Nova matters is the Brazilian Marcos Valle. The Cumbia All Stars are appositely named, and are the figurehead of Peruvian Cumbia.
The Columbian trio Los Pirañas already captivated the audience at the Wassermusik 2012 with their wonderfully bizarre tropical hybrids, while the concerts of the Orchestra of Spheres from New Zealand regularly turn into sweat-soaked happening. The list could be continued at will. Without superlatives it will be impossible to do justice to this concert program.
On the occasion of its tenth anniversary Wassermusik has more special attractions in store, for example the Wassermusik Exhibition from the Argentinean-Spanish painter and graphic artist Pedro Strukelj. Strukelj visited the festival in 2016, producing wonderful drawings of the building, the stage, the artists, and visitors which will be on display in the foyer of the HKW.
This year is not just the tenth anniversary of Wassermusik, the Choir of the Cultures of the World was also launched in 2007. The ensemble, under the direction of Barbara Morgenstern, will enrich the Word Program on the 27/07 as well as making a guest appearance at the annual swimming competition held by Flußbad e.V. in the Kupfergraben. In accordance with the festival theme, the accompanying Wassermarkt market will also be offering highlights from the last ten years. For example, Indian food, which you can enjoy while shopping at Brazilian or Portuguese stands. At Wassermusik X all the boundaries fall.
With Khaled, Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya, Oumou Sangaré, Alemayehu Eshete & The Polyversal Souls, Marcos Valle, Bixiga 70, Cumbia All Stars, Idris Ackamoor &The Pyramids, Moreno Veloso, Pascuala Ilabaca, Los Pirañas, Orchestra of Spheres and many more.
For the detailed line-up and more information, visit the website: hkw.de
Wassermusik X
21.07.-13.08.2017
HKW Haus der Kulturen der Welt | John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10 | 10557 Berlin/Tiergarten
