Song for Many Movements. Opening Performance Live on Radio Alhara
As part of the publishing strand ‘Towards Collective Study in Times of Emergency’, listen to the Barcelona-based Jokkoo collective perform with guests Miramizu, Rasheed Jalloul and Sabine Salamé. Recorded on February 9th to mark the opening of Song for Many Movements at MACBA, this is a-two-and-a-half-hour exploration of sonic solidarity through the sounds of the African diaspora streamed live on Radio Alhara.
The performance moves through dislocated soundscapes and geographies, punctuated by free jazz experimentation, deconstructed club sounds and Arabic rap. It gradually evolves into a hybrid, afro-futurist jam session that combines Jokkoo’s polyrhythmic electronics and sub-bass frequencies with live drums, clarinet and Rasheed Jalloul’s oud. Baba Sy’s hypnotic vocal distortion—as he delivers a ritual performance on stage—gives way to Sabine Salamé freestyling on the mic along with fellow queer rappers L-Void and HIND, who made a suprise appearance at the end of the show.
In the artists’ own words, ‘we are searching for the language, the actions and the emotions which link us in an empathetic struggle for collective liberation’. The pan-Africanist spirit lies at the heart of Barcelona-based collective Jokkoo, whose name is a Wolof word meaning ‘making a connection with something that is greater than you’. Since they founded this collective in 2019, the Jokkoos have created strong networks of solidarity within Barcelona’s art scene and internationally including collaborations with other platforms in Africa and beyond, from Nyege Nyege (Kampala) to Zilzal (Palestine). They have been active in organising pro-Palestinian gigs and fundraisers in venues such as FOC, the artist-run-space which they co-founded on the outskirts of Barcelona. Jokkoo’s musical militancy has placed the non-hegemonic aesthetics—and politics—of the African diaspora at the very centre of Barcelona’s nightlife.
Timecodes:
00:00–00:58 Miramizu (DJ set/live) feat. ‘Neela’ by Rasheed Jalloul (oud)
00:59–01:33 Sabine Salamé (MC)
01:33–02:27 Jokkoo live: Pasaporteman / Baba Sy (vocals), Opoku (clarinet and drums), MOOKI6 and MBODJ (electronics) feat. Rasheed Jalloul (oud) Sabine Salamé, L-Void and HIND (MCs)
See an edited video of the session below.
Song for Many Movements is an ephemeral experiment in which the ground floor of MACBA becomes a stage for encounters, conversations and shared listening. Curated by María Berríos and Sabel Gavaldon, it presents moving-image works, sounds, publications and archival materials belonging to over fifty artists and collectives.
Sound engineering and mixing: Jordi Salvadó
Camera and film editing: Krik Krak
The views and opinions published here mirror the principles of academic freedom and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the L'Internationale confederation and its members.
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