Mina Richman & Sophia Kennedy (DE/IR -USA/DE)

In the organizer's words:

When two such independent voices as Sophia Kennedy and Mina Richman meet, a field of tension arises that goes far beyond a classical double concert. Two artists meet in the Kulturzelt Kassel who negotiate questions of identity, belonging and self-determination with great clarity and artistic originality - and in doing so also reflect the political and social contrasts of our present day.

Sophia Kennedy, born in Baltimore and now based between Hamburg and Berlin, creates a dazzling, ambiguous world of sound with her current album Squeeze Me and her latest EP Very Far Away. Between pop, electronics and cinematic dramaturgy, she explores the ambivalences of human relationships: Closeness and distance, power and powerlessness, seduction and resistance. Her songs are like artfully constructed spaces in which opposites do not dissolve, but are consciously juxtaposed. With reduced arrangements, catchy melodies and surreal images, Kennedy develops an aesthetic that is both accessible and irritating - a musical game with perspectives that both reflects and alienates reality. Her new single Schenke mir ein sounds like the reincarnation of Hildegard Knef and shows Kennedy's ability to rethink the voices of strong women.

Mina Richman, on the other hand, brings a different, equally haunting perspective to the stage. As a queer German-Iranian, she moves between cultural identities and personal experiences, which she deals with openly and uncompromisingly in her music. Her sound combines soul, blues, folk and modern influences to create a direct, emotional language. Songs such as Baba Said, which resonated strongly during the protests in Iran, show how closely her art is linked to political awareness. Richman's lyrics are characterized by radical honesty - they tell of origin, body, family and the struggle for self-determination.

It is precisely in the juxtaposition that this evening unfolds its special power: on the one hand, Kennedy's American-influenced, artfully abstract pop aesthetics, on the other Richman's personal and political approach, fed by the realities of life in Iran and Germany. At a time when questions of origin, identity and global conflicts are becoming increasingly acute, the result is a dialog that will touch both musically and in terms of content.

The concert is unseated. (However, there are seats in the stands for early birds)

Links

Mina Richman Facebook Instagram YouTube TikTok Spotify www

Sophia Kennedy Facebook Instagram YouTube TikTok Spotify

clips

Sophia Kennedy - Imaginary Friend

Mina Richman - Nearly To The End

Sophia Kennedy - Give me a drink

Mina Richman - Something to Rely On