Opening Party @ Friedrichsplatz

For the opening of documenta fifteen, we invite you to various parties, taking place simultaneously across Kassel. The concert at Friedrichsplatz includes performances by Nasida Ria, Rizan Said, oomleo berkaraoke, and DJ Bernd Kuchinke, and is hosted by Ripley Myers.

Nasida Ria is an all-female multigenerational ensemble who is a pioneer of modern Qasidah from Indonesia and has strongly inspired numerous modern Qasidah groups of today. They were formed in Semarang, Central Java, in 1975; and so far they have released 35 albums. Nasida Ria incorporates classical Arabic style Qasidah with modern electronic instruments. This twelve women of all ages line-up is still actively touring across the country, performing their pop interpretation of the Islamic epics oral tradition (called Qasidah).

The songs are mostly alluding to social issues such as human right, women’s emancipation, education, justice, preserving the earth, war, the future of the youth, and independence. They perform the mainly didactic lyrics to the sounds of electric guitars, synthesizers, violins, gendang (drums) and flutes.

Rizan Said is a composer, musician and producer, responsible for hundreds of Syrian recording industry productions as well as compositions and themes for television and cinema. His first solo album, The King of Keyboard (Annihaya Records, 2015) continues to receive critical acclaim internationally. Rizan’s recent solo performances have brought the original dabke dance sounds of Syria to European festivals and concerts, and kept people partying until sunrise. In late 2019 his second solo album was released by Akuphone Records.

oomleo berkaraoke is Narpati Awangga, a member of ruangrupa and the director of its RURUradio division. oomleo creates works utilizing digital art media, while actively involved in organizing music events, workshops and other activities in the urban visual art scene. He is a man of many skills and interests. oomleo is a pixel artist, a member of the synth pop band Goodnight Electric, a radio announcer, an illustrator, a column writer, a comic artist and DJ. He currently organizes karaoke events all over Indonesia, using millions of karaoke songs, from internationally popular tunes to traditional Indonesian folk songs. 

DJ Bernd Kuchinke has been making music for 35 years. In Kassel he was resident DJ at Kunstbunker, Prigogine, New York, Spot and the legendary SalzmannFactory. Musically socialised in the eighties, he was always confronted with the question: Can love be synth? He is currently a regular at the Kassel clubs Lolita Bar, Kulturfabrik Salzmann, Frau Tanz and various festival stages with his own formats and DJ sets. 

Ripley Myers is the supreme queen of mean, your fairy godmother* and wicked witch of Cologne, but in the end just a Drag Artist who speaks her mind, heart and soul. What you see is what you get. Ten years of wisdom, knowledge, and way too much makeup in the artform of drag, from (gay) nightlife to national television. She won contests, she lost contests. Been there done that. But always glad with a mic in her hands to host what deserves to be hosted and roast who deserves to be roasted. Kassel you better be prepared for the unpreparable.

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