.concert
Bia Ferreira & Son Rompe Pera
* A Vibrant Resurgence of Kulturarena Jena
written Alban E. Smajli
Brazil's boundary-blurring artist Bia Ferreira stirred up the stage at the legendary Kulturarena, injecting her music with a palpable punch of social consciousness.
Against the backdrop of her hypnotic fusion of reggae, raga, rap, Afrobeat, samba, funk, and soul, Ferreira presented a chilling reality - every 24 hours, a queer person is murdered in Brazil, and every 23 hours, a black person is killed by the police. Echoing her call to "Say no to racism, say no to homophobia, say no to police violence," she used her global platform to spark conversations as well as delight the audience with her musical prowess.
seen Christoph Worsch
The Kulturarena Jena, a melting pot of international virtuosity, throbbed with the kinetic energy of Mexico City's Son Rompe Pera following Ferreira's gripping performance. Since its inception in '92, this dynamic festival has been a cultural powerhouse, rhythmically uniting the city in a global beat and intellectual dialogues each summer.
Ferreira's heartfelt rendition of "Cota Não É Esmola" transformed the online sensation into a live, ethereal sonic journey, entrancing the crowd. The night took a turbo-charged twist when Son Rompe Pera stormed the stage, their punk-infused marimba-cumbia reverberating through the crowd, inciting a wild dance party that swept up every single person.
Their audacious set, a vivid testament to Mexico's rich musical heritage meshed with the anarchic spirit of punk-rock, obliterated the boundaries between past and present, tradition and rebellion.
This fusion of Brazilian soul from Ferreira and Mexican punk from Son Rompe Pera brewed an unforgettable night of music that reasserted Kulturarena's status as a vibrant hub of diverse, high-grade global sound.
(c) Son Rompe Pera