Image credit: Ronish Shreshta

Over the last two decades, Nepal has experienced political upheaval, civil unrest and devastation. From the outset of the civil war – christened the People’s War – by the Communist Party of Nepal in February 1996 to the catastrophic earthquake in April 2015, the erstwhile Hindu kingdom has witnessed a period of setbacks. Yet, the Nepalese people continue to survive, and in some cases, thrive. With a young, vibrant and ambitious population (88% of the population is under the age of 60), Nepal is seeking to chart a course that will leave a significant mark on the world – with hip-hop playing a pivotal role. …

Earlier this year we were proud to announce the launch of a new residency initiative: BMR. Over the course of 2016 – BMR will host 3 South Asian artists in Berlin for 2 months and see a Berlin based artist take part in a bespoke residency program in South Asia.

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DJ Nephra – image credit: #SundayPlayground

Although there aren’t many female DJs in Hyderabad, the ones that do exist draw a good crowd.

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We’re excited to announce the launch of a new initiative – SLAP (SoundLab Asia Pacific) Residency. A program brought to you in partnership with Modern Sky Festival Helsinki, Detour Asia, the Dusun and Border Movement (see below for more info about the partners). SLAP aims to encourage an ongoing intercultural dialogue by promoting creative exchange amoung music scenes from Asia Pacific and Europe.

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“Music appeals to a beautifully primal place within human beings and enables us to have synchronised collective experiences that transcend the mundane. To me the greatest message in music is that it is the antithesis of social issues. It should unite us. And, I think this has been a very important role of music for a long time,” says Colombo-based Givanke Goonetilleke whose endeavours with constructing metaphorical sonic terrains have surpassed all conventional norms with respect to experimental music.

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I’m in an auto rickshaw — a tuk-tuk in local parlance — and we’re taking a U-turn opposite the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo – 1. The person driving the tuk-tuk is an affable middle-aged man, upon recognising I’m Indian, he gets excited and insists on talking to me only in Hindi, familiar as he is with Indian and Pakistani culture. …

We are thrilled to announce that Iranian musician and composer Ghazaleh E will be the third artist to participate in the bespoke Berlin based residency program.

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This year has been particularly active in Dhaka. Not only is there tremendous variety among the work that has been put out, but the promising thing is the direction and approach the cities music producers have taken at large. Here’s a look at some of the releases that have particularly made a mark from Dhaka, other Bangladeshi cities and borders not so far away: …

Image credit: Fabrice Bourgelle

Sarathy Korwar is an Indian anomaly on the insulated London scene: his star is ascendant. From being chosen as a part of the Steve Reid Foundation programme – wherein he was mentored by industry stalwarts like Kieran Hebdan, Sam Shepherd and Gilles Peterson – to releasing his debut record, ‘Indefinite Leave To Remain’, on the famed label Ninja Tune; from garnering praise in Allmusic, Bandcamp and the Guardian (besides being featured on a New York Times playlist) to supporting jazz titan Kamasi Washington on his recent UK tour, Korwar’s done it all. We had a chat with the percussionist to find out how it happened and what’s next on his ever-expanding horizons. …

Pettah Interchange is back this weekend – Saturday 6 August 2016 – Colombo’s annual celebration of alternative art culture and music which has been transforming abandoned and neglected urban spaces in Colombo for 5 consecutive years now.

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