Waga Hip Hop Festival

Waga Hip Hop is one of the major international hip hop festivals taking place in West Africa. Each year, around early and mid-October, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) thus welcomes international artists and media to attend this festival of urban cultures.

Waga Hip Hop and its framing

Created in 2000, Waga Hip Hop is the flagship event of the association Umane Culture.[1] This association stands out as an active cultural structure, which develops multidisciplinary projects, in music, theatre, dance and tales, created in 1997 by Ali Diallo (member of the Export Bureau of African Music, BEMA). The latest realisation of Umane Culture was the creation, in November 2008, of the first Burkinabé music market, Saga Musik.

At first, Waga Hip Hop was organised with local hip hop artists solely at a time when Hip Hop was booming in Burkina Faso (2001–2003) mainly thanks to the arrival of an initial studio (Abazon) whose arranger was specialised in hip hop productions (Smockey). However, very quickly, Waga Hip Hop reaches an international scale, notably in 2002, with the support of international cultural organisations. Since then, and for each of its editions, Waga Hip Hop has welcomed artists coming from throughout the continent. With respect, it stands as one of the most visible festivals dedicated to the urban cultures in the West African region.[2] Unsurprisingly, Waga Hip Hop, as a yearly event, has now raised international consideration[3]

Waga Hip Hop and its diverse programming

Each year, Waga Hip Hop aims at being as largely as possible representative of all the urban cultures. As such, Waga Hip Hop not only welcomes in its organisation showcases and performances of hip hop artists but also those of other urban artists such as the now well-known Victor Démé who was discovered through a performance he gave during the festival. Besides, Waga Hip Hop regularly holds artistic residencies dedicated to the various disciplines of urban cultures such as hip hop dance, beatbox and other vocal urban music.[4] Its most famous production is “Waka Tibio”, which came out of the artistic residencies held during the 2008 and 2009 editions, and welcomed the joint performances of Fredy Massamba (DRC), King Ayisoba (Ghana), Awa Sissao (Burkina Faso) and DJ Gee Bayss (Senegal).

Besides, with the desire to expand its contribution to the whole country, Waga Hip Hop holds events in the capital city, i.e. Ouagadougou as well as throughout the country, in the different regional cities (Ouahigouya, Fada N’Gourma, Bobo Dioulasso, Pô, Koudougou). Not only a space of creation and diffusion, Waga Hip Hop also stands as an important sphere of training and formation. Indeed, and in order to support the development of the local cultural community, the festival yearly organises workshops dedicated to the local cultural operators as well as to the artists.[5]

The principal partners of Waga Hip Hop are the Francophonia International Organisation (OIF), Africalia (Belgium), Culture France but also Staycalm!, a Paris-based artistic collective which has been supporting Waga Hip Hop since its early years. Staycalm! Has now become well known for its multimedia production on West African Hip Hop, “Fangafrika”.

In 2010, Waga Hip Hop will celebrate its 10th anniversary and, even more than each and every year, this promises to be an event not to be missed!

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waga Hip Hop Festival.
Hip Hop artists from Burkina Faso [nb 1] Urban artists from Burkina Faso [nb 2] Urban Information in Burkina Faso
  • Afrik’slam
  • Art Melody
  • Deris (graffeur)
  • Gold (DJ)
  • Duny Yaam
  • El Primo
  • Faso Kombat
  • Konkret53
  • Wed Hyack
  • OBC
  • Obscur Jaffar
  • Smockey
  • Wenlamita Kouka
  • Yeleen
  • Alif Naaba
  • Awa Sissao
  • Baliku Roots
  • Bil Aka Kora
  • Diarra Brothers
  • Floby
  • Victor Deme
  • Planet Culture (cultural journalist association)
  • FasoRap (hip hop webzine)
  • BurkinaRap (hip hop webzine)

More information on the artists and organizations mentioned above can be found on their MySpace pages.

References

  1. ↑ Janin, Sylviane (2010). Burkina Faso. Editions Olizane. p. 197. ISBN 2-88086-386-4.
  2. ↑ Afrique Magazine. Groupe Jeune Afrique. 269-274 (2008). Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ Chabasseur, Eglantine (October 31, 2006). "Festival Ouga Hip Hop 2006: 6ème Edition". Radio France Internationale.
  4. ↑ Chabasseur, Eglantine (October 19, 2009). "Waga Hip Hop 2009: Le festival qui ne dort jamais". RFI.
  5. ↑ Chabasseur, Eglantine (October 19, 2009). "Waga Hip Hop 2009: Le festival qui ne dort jamais". RFI.

Notes

  1. ↑ This list does not pretend to be exhaustive. The artists or groups listed here are among those who considerably marked the movement (and who have an existing online visibility (for reference). Other groups and artists that worth being quoted are Busta Gaeenga, Basic Soul (1st rapper to release an hip hop production in 1997), Dudn’J (ex-member of Clepto Gang), Golgo13, La Censure (1st group to release a collective hip hop production in 2003), Leekma, KDR, Poetes Fyziks, and Wemteng Clan.
  2. ↑ This list does not pretend to be exhaustive. The artists or groups listed here are among the most visible of the Burkinabé musical scene and who have an existing online visibility (for reference). Other groups and artists that worth being quoted are Baba Commandant and the Afromandingo Band, Dumba Kultur, Jacob Kuilibila, Sam’s K le Jah, Youmali and Zougnazagmda.
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