Reeperbahn Festival has been established as one of the most important meeting places for the music industry worldwide, and, of course - as the largest club festival in Germany.

This year Reeperbahn brings from 18 - 22 of Septemeber, more than 700 events and 450 concerts spanning a range of genres in various locations around Hamburg’s Reeperbahn.

In order not to lose track of all the great things happening during those days, we decided to do our homework and gather some musical acts and concert tips - always in the Piranha spirit!


ATA KAK
#electronic #global #ghana

This is where the hiplife sound most likely started: Obaa Sima by Ata Kak is one of the first albums that married the Ghanaian high life with the history of hip hop, and is rightly considered a gem by record collectors. That reputation has only grown since the ladies and gents at Awesome Tapes From Africa re-released the album in 2015. Ata Kak not only stands out from the recent wave of reissues thanks to his crazy raps and vocals: He's also creating fresh music, and now, he will finally play live in Germany again after a long absence.

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A-WA
#pop #global #israel



From the music of Greece to jazz, R&B, and hip hop to psychedelic, progressive rock in the vein of Deep Purple and Pink Floyd: A-WA's influences are undoubtedly eclectic. But mainly, the three sisters from Israel, who landed one of the most unusual summer hits ever with 2015's "Habib Galbi," grew up with the Yemeni folk music of their grandparents. This has given their style a unique edge, particularly when it comes to their three-part harmonies. A blend of Arabic electropop and traditional Mizrahi music, always suitable for dancing, but also carried by a certain solemnity.

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AZIZA BRAHIM
#global #westernsahara



The Sahrawi, an ethnically diverse Arab-Berber people in the western part of the Sahara, have fought for independence from Morocco for generations. Aziza Brahim witnessed this conflict first-hand, growing up in a refugee camp in western Algeria. In touch with her passion for music from an early age, she played her first small concerts there. After winning a local singing contest, she toured Mauritania and Algeria with several Sahrawi bands. With her uniquely powerful voice, the singer has become an eloquent representative of her people to listeners both in her native region and in Europe.

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FARAJ SULEIMAN
#contemporary #jazz #palestine



Faraj Suleiman adeptly combines Arabic scales and sounds with Western jazz chords. Flowing transitions from Orient to Occident are audible in the Palestinian pianist's melodies and instrumentation, which often includes bass and oud, the Arabic short-neck lute, giving his compositions the sensual depth of a night in the desert. Each time he interweaves these different traditions, Suleiman displays the brilliance that marks him as one of his country's preeminent contemporary artists.

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GATO PRETO
#electronic #global #germany



Africa is rising—and producer Lee Bass and MC Gata Misteriosa have the right soundtrack for the occasion. The duo joined forces in Düsseldorf in western Germany in 2011, but has Ghanaian and Mozambican roots, respectively. And they're fiercely adept at blending these different cultural influences together: Their mix of pulsating favela funk, South African Kwaito, and the exuberant rhythms of kuduro conjures up a giddy intensity Western music traditions simply can't keep up with.

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ISLAND MAN
#electronic #global #turkey



Already back when Istanbul was Constantinopel, Orient and Occident met on the banks of the Bosporus and pushed cultural achievements to their pinnacle. Under his alias Islandman, the young producer and musician Tolga Böyük proves that this is still the case. With wonderfully light arrangements that make use of flutes, guitars, percussion, and funky beats, his debut Rest in Space delivered blissful instrumental tracks for the hottest time of year.


JUNGLE BY NIGHT
#electronic #global #netherlands



Afrobeat hasn't sounded this accomplished and laid-back in a while: Jungle By Night aren't the last remnants of Fela Kuti's band Afrika 70, but rather a young ensemble from Amsterdam, bursting with energy and fresh ideas. It's been about ten years since the nine started making a name for themselves all over Europe, and on the way, they've not only had praise heaped on them by Ethio-jazz legend Mulatu Astatke and Afrobeat institution Tony Allen, they've also signed with the label Kindred Spirits. The boys clearly haven't missed a beat.

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LES AMAZONES D' AFRIQUE
#global #mali



The singers of Les Amazones d'Afriques are a special kind of supergroup, not only for fans of African music traditions. Mande music, downtempo, rock, dub, and trip hop all find their way into the mix. But the Amazons don't only enchant, they also raise awareness about important issues such as sexualized violence and female genital mutilation in African countries. You'd be hard pressed to find more empowering music.

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MOKOOMBA
#pop #global #zimbabwe



Pure joie de vivre with a distinct African flair – that's what Mokoomba bring to the stage, no matter where on the planet they happen to be playing. Infectious Tonga rhythms drive afro-pop, funk, and reggae, but also Cuban jazz and passionate call-and-response vocals that make one want to sing along. Two years ago, Zimbabwe's most popular band used this cosmopolitan style blend to express intelligent messages of peace and friendship, but also to reflect on their home country's traditions in the present day.

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TAMIKREST
#rock #global #algeria



In Tamasheq, the language of the Tuareg, “Tamikrest” means both “alliance” and “future”. And the members of this band know what it means to strengthen one so you can live to see the other. They all experienced civil war, violence, and loss at a young age. But answering madness with more madness was not an option for them. Instead of serving in the military and learning to use weapons, they expressed themselves with music – for themselves and for the Tuareg in general. Dusty electric guitars define this desert rock, accented with bass, djembe, and various percussion instruments, and accompanied by call-and-response vocals.

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© main photo: Tamikrest