World Apéro, Poetry Jazz

Mihret Kebede Alwabie ist eine Künstlerin und Poetin aus Addis Abeba, die Projekte zu Jazz und Poesie ins Leben gerufen hat. Zusammen mit Christina Werner, einer Berliner Kunstvermittlerin und Co-Direktorin des Instituts für Raumexperimente, stellt sie das Projekt «Poetry Jazz» vor. Dabei geht es um die Frage, was beim Prozess des Übersetzens geschehen kann; inwiefern Poesie ein politischer Akt ist.

Poetry Jazz is the name of a particular style of popular performance poetry from Ethiopia that fuses poetry and jazz, recitation and improvisation. A long-term collaboration between Tobiya Poetic Jazz, Addis Ababa and the Institut für Raumexperimente (Institute for Spatial Experiments), Berlin celebrates the great work of and collaboration among poets and musicians from three continents, fusing poetry in Amharic, English, and German with live music.

The participating artists present the critical and inspiring potential of this art form at numerous events. They act as popular ambassadors for the lively crowds and broadcast (hi)stories in the wake of destabilising political momentum and suggest subversive methodologies to challenge threats to the freedom of expression.

Mihret Kebede Alwabie & Christina Werner, Jazz-/Poetrykünstler*innen, Addis Abeba/Berlin