The Italian Cultural Institute in Dakar will take part in the third edition of Dakar Music Expo (DMX), the event scheduled for 3-6 February 2022 which celebrates African music and creativity. The final display of the event will take place on 6 February at the Italian Cultural Institute, while the initiatives of the first three days will be hosted by the Institut Français.
DMX is the main music platform of western Africa, directed by Doudou Sarr, cultural entrepreneur and agent of world-famous artists. The event will feature workshops, masterclasses and panels which aim to support experience-sharing and contribute to the professional growth of the new generation of artists and professionals of the music industry in Africa.
The initiatives include the presentation (5 February) of the set of Khalab (stage name of Raffaele Costantino), a journalist, music expert and one of the major performers of afro-futurism music. In particular, he will present his project “Laamb”, commissioned by the Italian Cultural Institute and thought up together with journalist Megan Iacobini De Fazio. “Laamb” is about Senegalese folk wrestling, one of the continent’s oldest fighting techniques, a ritual, a show and a sport practised by many and followed by millions of people. Khalab will make a “field recording” to capture the sounds and voices of the athletes as they train in gyms and on the beaches, as well as the percussions and ceremonial chants that precede the actual fight. He will also work with Senegalese musicians to compose the rhythmic patterns to be paired with his field recording work. Once he returns to Italy, Khalab will process and synthesise the material to create the final artistic product.
