Here they are! We’re revealing the first 45 acts at Pop-Kultur 2022, which this year will be totally live and in person once again. Over the last few days, we have already announced some of them via our countdown: BĘÃTFÓØT feat. Kunty Klub, Verifiziert, Tama Gucci, Graf Fidi, Uffie, Isolation Berlin, Drangsal (reading), Anika presents »Lost Voices« and M.anifest.
We are also very pleased to announce that the recent Grammy winner Arooj Aftab (Best Global Music Performance) will be performing at Pop-Kultur. Aftab, the first Pakistani artist to win the award, describes her music as »meo-Sufi«. From Ukraine comes rapper alyona alyona, who made her first appearance in Germany at Pop-Kultur 2019 and has since won international acclaim. Since the start of the war, she has now been helping out in a pharmacy near Kiev and organising relief supplies via Instagram. In her work combining art, music and video, Hyd aka Hayden Dunham relates to »queer ecosystems of care«.
And then, of course, there are performances you’ve never seen before: the commissioned works, premieres of pieces created especially for the festival. To name just three of the 15: Anika transforms the Kesselhaus into a space for voices that would otherwise not be heard. The musical avant-gardist Jovanka von Wilsdorf along with the cellist Bison Rouge, will boldly experiment with artificial intelligence to generate emotions. And Güner Künier traces identities between cultures both musically and visually.
The fact that there can be live music from all over the world once again at Pop-Kultur is not something to take for granted – especially for artists from the African continent. »Many people have had no access to vaccinations at all. Just seven percent of the African population is fully vaccinated and has been able to perform in other parts of the world,« emphasises Pamela Owusu-Brenyah, who is co-curating the programme. »It’s extremely important to me that we get to see some of these great acts in Berlin again in 2022.« Among them are M.anifest, who brings together elements of highlife with hip-hop and modern Afrobeats; KABEAUSHÉ from Kenya, who will deliver a glamorous show somewhere between Prince and Tyler, the Creator. Meanwhile, Sudanese-Egyptian musician Alewya lives in London. She combines dub and drum ‘n’ bass with Afrobeats and will make her German debut at Pop-Kultur.
And before we reveal the next big batch in a few weeks, here are all the acts announced so far, at a glance:
Concerts, DJ sets and more from Aksak Maboul / Alewya / alyona alyona / Amewu / Amilli / Anna B Savage / Anthony Hüseyin / Arooj Aftab / Cartel Madras / Catnapp / Christin Nichols / Dlina Volny / Donia Touglo / Drangsal: »DOCH« (Reading) / eat-girls / Edward Hunt / Fehler Kuti / FOKN Bois / Fuffifufzich / Gianni Mae / Girlwoman / Grace Cummings / Graf Fidi / Hyd / Isolation Berlin / KABEAUSHÉ / Kælan Mikla / LEOPARD / Liz / Lotic / M.anifest / Nuha Ruby Ra / Oklou / Scúru Fitchádu / Taffee / Tama Gucci / Thala / Theodora / Uffie / Verifiziert / Wa22ermann / 50 more to follow.
Pop-Kultur Commissioned Works by Anika presents »Lost Voices« / BĘÃTFÓØT feat. Kunty Klub / Güner Künier / Jovanka von Wilsdorf & Bison Rouge »Found in Translation« / 11 more works to follow.
We’re greatly looking forward to experiencing these great artists live with you in person. Tickets are available here.