The globalFEST hangout crew gathered at Central Park on one of the hottest days of the year for a pre-show panel lead by New York legend Fab Five Freddy and performances from Young Paris, Batida and Mbongwana Star. Before entering Rumsey Playfield, we were lead to a shaded, vine-covered area where the panel took place. Young Paris and Fab Five Freddy took their seats and began their conversation as Central Park shined behind them.
Fab Five Freddy recalled the first time he met Young Paris – his Maquillage striking him and drawing him in. Young Paris explained that his white Maquillage was to honor his father who had passed, but Maquillage can be many colors and represent different things throughout Africa. Young Paris elaborated on the importance of expanding traditional forms, emphasizing the up-and-coming African talent taking the stage today. He spoke about the value in broadening the diasporic range and coming together through social media; one of his most affective campaigns being his #MelaninMonday series.
Batida and Fab Five Freddy
After finishing soundcheck, Batida joined the panel and charmed the audience with his quick wit and thoughtful responses. Batida shared his thoughts on the constraints of genre, and the natural human condition of being ridiculous. He took us back to his younger years, where growing up he felt disconnected from his Angolan culture, but quickly realizing its richness through vinyl records. Through vinyl collecting, Batida talked about the difficulties of organizing artists within certain genres – some artists just didn’t belong in one category. This is true, specially for Batida’s music. His music is free, groovy, political, and samples some of the best, rare artists from around the world.
Friends at the gFhangout
Alicia and Jojo Abot at the gF hangout
When the pre-show panel was over, we got together to debrief. The cultural and musical context before the show was priceless, and the hangout crew was ready to take in the performances at SummerStage in association with OkayAfrica. We made our way to the VIP area to hydrate, enjoy the shade, and make introductions as DJ Underdog played the hits in the background.
Friends at the #gFhangout
As Young Paris took the stage, the hangout crew went out into the sun to dance in the front row. Before his set was over, he jumped down from the stage into the crowd where he danced with the audience and lead a dance line throughout Rumsey Playfield. After his electrifying set the crowd was warmed up and ready for Batida. His audiovisual performance made it a very interactive set; linking up musical samples with their visual origin. The most striking part of Batida’s set was his onstage call to action for the #Angola17. 17 peaceful activists in Angola were wrongfully convicted, you can learn more on Amnesty International’s website. The faces of the 17 activists were carried across the stage, including one by gF team member Stephanie Orentas.
Angola 17 action during Batida’s set
Mbongwana Star closed out our evening of dancing with a sizzling set of tracks from “From Kinshasa”. The floor at Rumsey Playflied felt electric – no one stood still throughout Mbongwana Star’s performance. We danced until the sun went down and the night breeze set in with new friends. Until the next one!
Mbongwana Star Photo by Oluwaseye