Dubbed as the ‘South By South West (SXSW) of South Korea’, the Zandari Festa showcase will take place in Seoul, South Korea from September 29 to October 1. This year’s event will see 140 acts from 25 countries performing at 10 different venues throughout Hongdae.
Along with showcasing established acts and exciting up-and-comers from South Korea’s burgeoning indie scene, Zandari Festa has placed a greater emphasis on becoming a truly global event. By attracting more international talent, Zandari Festa has been able to expose audiences to a wider range of music and has helped build bridges between Korea and the rest of the world. More information on the Zandari Festa such as information on the artists and conferences is available on the Zandari Festa Facebook page.
Hiphop acts include Koncept, Arlo Maverick (Canada), Kimoki Fuckingmadness (Korea), electronic/hip-hop beat maker and producer AF THE NAYSAYER, and Russian-born, Germany-based beatmaker BAHR.
Koncept
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Why are you excited about performing at Zandari Festa?
Zandari Festa is said to be like the SXSW of Korea. I’ve been fortunate enough to perform at SXSW (in Austin, Texas – US) a few times and it’s always been amazing. The purpose of the festival is to expose new talent and shed light on artists that people may not have heard before. I think this principle brings a certain energy and excitement from the Fest-goers. I’m excited to bring their excitement to a higher level when they listen and watch me perform.
What can fest-goers expect from your showcase?
Every time I step on stage I put in 200%. Whether 5 people, 500, or 5000. Fest-goers should expect to see my passion and my heart on that stage. I love what I do and I make sure to show that in every way of my performance. They should expect to have fun, feel my energy, and leave with a new artist to add to their playlists.
Arlo Maverick (Canada)
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Why are you excited about performing at Zandari Festa?
We’re excited to play Zandari Festa because it could be the beginning of developing a fan base in Asia. While we’ve had songs air in Japan, this is the first time we are performing in Asia. We’ve heard a lot about how big hip-hop is in Asia, especially Korea. We want to experience how Koreans interact with and embrace hip-hop and see what that energy inspires.
What can fest-goers expect from your showcase?
Those in attendance at our Zandari Festa 2017 showcase can expect a high-energy interactive show where they will get lost in the groove and will want to dance the night away. We aim to leave partygoers with moments they will want to revisit because they had so much fun, and because the vibe was so nice, they lost themselves in the moment.
Are you familiar with Korea’s hip-hop scene at all?
We recently began learning about Korea’s hip-hop scene. In North America we are exposed to mainstream and underground hip-hop but there aren’t many outlets for hip-hop from other parts of the world other than the UK. From what we’ve heard though, we are interested in hearing more and learning about Korea’s hip-hop scene and its history.
Is there anything in particular you’re hoping to learn about the scene while you’re in Seoul?
What drives Korean hip-hop culture? Is there love shown to all four elements or is there a particular element that has resonated more with Koreans than others? How long has hip-hop culture existed in Korea?
Kimoki Fuckingmadness (South Korea)
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Why are you excited to play at Zandari Festa?
Kim Oki (saxophonist): I can meet musicians playing various genres of music in this small country through this festival. In this regard, it brings my mind up to outer space and it makes me excited to play at Zandari Festa.
What can people at Zandari Festa expect from Kimoki Fuckingmadness’ performance?
KO: Everyone who feels exhausted, lonely or empty, please come and join us. I promise you’ll feel warm-hearted and happy afterwards.
Why did you want to name your band “Fuckingmadness”?
KO: Because society and the cultural field in Korea is so chaotic, I decided to name this band “Fuckingmadness.”
MC Bluechan
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AF THE NAYSAYER
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BAHR
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Have you ever performed together live before?
Bluechan: No, not yet. Zandari Festa will be the first time.
BAHR: Yes, this will be our first time performing together and I can’t wait to do it!
Why did you want to be part of Zandari Festa 2017 and do your collaboration there?
Bluechan: I participated in Zandari Festa a few years ago. It was so interesting for me. I talked with AF and BAHR about collaborating onstage so many times. Now we got the chance and will make a special performance.
AF THE NAYSAYER: I played Focus Wales 2017 and met Patrick from Zandari Festa. He was interested in having me in Seoul at the festival. BAHR and I mentioned to him that we worked with Bluechan who is from Korea. BAHR pitched him the idea of all of us performing together, and the rest is history.
BAHR: The way Patrick from Zandari Festa described the festival seemed super interesting and fun. We figured it would be the perfect time and place for us to unite and showcase our work. So we applied.
What can people at Zandari Festa expect from your performance?
Bluechan: I will introduce my friends AF and BAHR to Korean fans. Some of my fans already know about them because of my work with them, but I want introduce them to more Korean people and then to everyone.
AF THE NAYSAYER: They can expect a good time.
How did this collaboration come about? What are your future plans for the collaboration?
Bluechan: A few years ago, BAHR contacted me and introduce his friend AF. We talked a lot online and did some work together too. We want to play everywhere we can in Europe, America, and Asia. We plan on working more together. I want to make a world tour with this project.
BAHR: I met AF on Twitter and we liked each other’s music a lot. We became good friends and kept in touch via Skype and social media. We connected each other with rappers and singers, and later on I got introduced to Bluechan on Facebook through another friend. After working on a few tracks with Bluechan, I thought AF should work with him too. Next thing I know they drop a dope track together, which I remixed later on. Blue also introduced me to his crew who I then worked with as well and who will support us onstage at Zandari Festa! I love Korean music, granted I only know a few words but there is so much more you can appreciate. Being born in Russia and growing up in Germany I don’t see language as a barrier. Whatever our plans may be, making music I can be proud of, playing it for the whole world and helping my friends get there too is how I’ll keep going about things.
For more information on Zandari Festa, visit the official website.
