The Red Bull Music Academy is a world-travelling series of music workshops and festivals.
A unique forum for the artists who created the foundation of today’s musical landscape, as well as those who are busy formulating tomorrow’s most compelling movements. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp traversed the metropolises of the globe making stops in Berlin, Cape Town, São Paulo, London, Toronto and most recently New York.
Every year two groups of 30 selected participants ranching from producers, vocalists, DJs, instrumentalists and all-round musical mavericks from around the world come together in a new city for two weeks’ worth of recording sessions, lectures by musical luminaries and elating synergetic performances in popular local venues. The Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp is a local spin- off of this international workshop series; a mini-Academy featuring all elements that make this experience all so special – lectures, studio sessions, live performances, and real-life bonding over mutual inspiration…
The thirty participants attending Bass Camp come from all walks of life, and cover a vast range of music genres and disciplines. From the likes of future bass artists such as Okmalumkoolkat to South African deep house aficionados such as Keys Snow and DJ Mizz to multi-instrumentalists such as Nicolaas Van Reenen (Bateleur) and Robin Brink (Beatenberg) to songstresses such as Eve Rakow and Moonchild to straight up Jazz musicians such Lindelo Mangesi, all the participants have one thing in common: They are all deeply invested in, and most likely to be key players in the future of South Africa’s diverse music scene.
Aside from getting down and making music together in music studios at the Alex Theatre, the participants will spend much of their time soaking up knowledge during daily Red Bull Music Academy style lectures. One of the lecturers will be none other than the legendary Hugh Masekela. Having already lectured at the Red Bull Music Academy in 2003, Bra Hugh will take the participants on a journey through his life as one of South Africa’s most influential and prolific musicians of the last 60 years.
Another Bass Camp Johannesburg lecturer will be Francois K, otherwise known as François Kevorkian, the legendary New York DJ, producer, remixer and record label owner who started his career at clubs of mythic proportions such as Studio 54 and the Paradise Garage and is widely considered as one of the forefathers of house music.
The public is not exempted from taking part in the whirlwind of musical activities. There will be an Open Lecture with local house legends Vinny da Vinci and DJ Cristos at the Alexander Theatre on Saturday as well as a Soweto Session with Francois K at Chaf Pozi ahead of the Closing Party on Sunday.
