12th BAFICI News

The second day of the Festival closed with an excellent show by Nairobi and Mad Professor, acclaimed as "the genius of dub." Forty-five minutes with the best tracks from "Wu Wei" -their first album released in Argentina-; some songs from their next record, entitled "Wet", and some classic tracks from the genre in which they are specialists. The crowd at the terrace of the Centro Cultural Recoleta, enjoyed the bars and strong bases – a powerful bass together with a blunt drums- sharp-edged rhythmic guitars, floating synthesizers, and Ivi Lee’s charisma, an unique front man. But the highlight of the evening was the intervention of Mad Professor right from his “spaceship” – equipped with countless knobs, echo microphones and platters to play live records -. It was a great closing for a full-day of audiovisual stimuli.

Since 7PM, the Patio del Aljibe, at Centro Cultural Recoleta was crowded when the company BA. crew Hip-Hop co. "Kooltura Bs As" (picture) -formed by eleven dancers dressed for the occasion- gave the Festival’s first example of street art, with their breakdance moves and street freestyle. The group’s agile moves were accompanied with hip hop rhythms from all ages, mixed with some disco music, trip hop – and also the famous cumbia style song ‘Violeta’ by Alcides-.

While in half an hour the electro pop band “Intima” will stage their show at “Villa Villa” hall, the audiovisual show of DJ Loder + VJ R3nder.net+i2off.org has called the attention of a growing number of people. This is one of the shows of the cycle DJVJ, an activity that joins music with video projections. In this show you will find dub and dancehall sounds, together with images of the duet of VJ´s that work in 3-D. Previously, DJ Un mono azul + VJ Unhappy sheep (picture) performed before the band “Mostruo” (the band of La Plata city that plays Argentine rock that is more classic and from the 70´s). With the songs “Dios”–a very nihilistic song- and “Soluciones magicas, they have kept their flags displayed.

Right now, at Centro Cultural´s terrace, “Rubín y los Subtitulados” are playing their pop songs, the best choice for the end of the day. Previously, “Acorazado Potemkin” performed at “Villa Villa” hall, playing their darkish garage rock, and with a singer -Juan Pablo Fernández, former member of “Pequeña Orquesta Reincidentes”- that reinforces the style of the band with his particular intonation from the outskirts. The musical activities of Ciudad Emergente began with Anita Pallenberg (picture), who attracted the attention of those wandering away. The audience was mainly composed of groups of girls and boys carrying their “mates”, magazines, and cigarettes.

A new day in Ciudad Emergente has begun, and we invite you to visit the various permanent exhibitions that define the Festival’s multiple attractions: endless artistic expressions to provoke the audience’s senses. Along the ‘Patio de los Tilos’, at Centro Cultural Recoleta, we can appreciate the Street Art creations, by the groups B2 and Triángulo Dorado/Bera. While B2 explores the different aspects of hip hop – graffiti, DJ, MC and Bboys-, Triangulo Dorado/Bera uses everyday elements –walls, streets or posters –to communicate their message that leads to meditation and internal reflect.

Thursday’s program at the Festival’s main stage – the Recoleta terrace – will be closing at 9PM with a concert by Nairobi (picture), local exponents of reggae-dub, featuring Mad Professor – legendary English producer that worked with Lee “Scratch” Perry and Massive Attack, among others-.This live collaboration is one of the highlights of the Festival’s musical program: it promises music with a hot urban organic style, played by young Latin musicians ‘blessed’ by a global icon of the genre.

This Thursday afternoon, at 6.55PM at Villa Villa hall, the musicians from La Plata city will play their street guitars strongly, showing their crude rock sound from the 70´s. This is so because the music of “Mostruo” (monster) is full of music from that decade. “Mostruo” has applied perfectly the lessons taught by those great bands such as Pescado Rabioso, Aquelarre and Billy Bond and La Pesada.

Tonight at 8 PM, at “Patio del Aljibe”, the event “Dancehall Dmode” will take place. This is a fashion show that will open the activities of the festival related to fashion. The union between reggae and fashion will allow us to see the designs made by Rasbastian (caps and hairstyles), Zion (embroidered T-shirts), Aire de Jah (accesories), and Ituzion (casual clothing). The music will be in charge of Dj Rasflek (Picture)- a producer with a long career and who was responsible for the compilation “Buenas Vibraciones” (Good vibrations)-. Miss Bolivia will also participate at this event. She is both the only Argentine dancehall singer and one of the most renowned young artists from Argentina.

This Thursday at 8PM, at the Recoleta Microcine, the film ‘Blur: No distance left to run’ will be screened. It documents the life, work and comeback of one of the most important British bands in the 90’s. Through archive material, and interviews with Damon Albarn, Grahan Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, the film throws light on their vibrant history, focusing on the Hyde Park (London) reunion, in the middle of 2009, after six years of breakup. Directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, this documentary full of controversies, drugs, fights -among the members of the band, and even with Oasis, their ‘rival’ at the time-, and lots of rock and roll.

One hour of show was enough for Marlango to win a standing ovation of the crowded that attended their performance. It didn’t matter the coldness, neither the fact that it was a Wednesday night: the coats and the songs could get all the urban tribes together. Some rasta, girls with indie heart, kids, families, foreign people… all of them enjoyed the repertoire by Marlango, with the star appearance of Fito Paez. Featuring him, they played one of his classic songs: ‘Petalo de sal’.