As the Red Bull Music Academy takes off on a world tour ahead of the full event in Madrid, from October 23 to November 25, we break the RBMA down to the letter...
A is for Alumni
Founded in 1998, Red Bull Music Academy brings some of the most talented and original musicians working today together with leading figures in the music industry. Previous alumni include Jamie Woon, GoldieLocks, Mr Hudson and Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes. While the list of lecturers reads like a Who’s Who of modern music, from influential DJ/producers such as Carl Craig, Mark Ronson and Hudson Mohawke to pioneers like the late Bob Moog, Peter Zinovieff, Gabriel Roth and Tony Allen to out-and-out legends like Chuck D, Don Letts, Peter Hook and Sly & Robbie. Oh, and a few one-offs like Sir Mix-A-Lot.
C is for Cape Town
The South African capital was first stop on the RBMA World Tour, where drum 'n' bass man Dillinja took a crew of homegrown hip-hop stars. The tour is currently in Berlin until Friday to meet Basic Channel's head honcho Moritz Von Oswald and Tom Müller, the engineer who worked with David Bowie in the 1970s. Then it’s off to Paris on Sunday and a rendezvous with roots drummer Questlove ahead of the world premiere of a one-off show, Afro-Picks, with Fela Kuti sticksman, Macy Gray, Amp Fiddler and members of Antibalas. Then it’s off to Detroit, Toronto, Melbourne, Rome, Sao Paulo and London.
Paris: Questlove’s Afro-Picks from Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.
A is for Applicants
Anyone can apply to join the Academy – but only a select few are chosen. That’s because demand for places is so high. The Academy is aimed at anyone with a strong interest in music and a desire to be involved in its development; that includes producers, performers and players to broadcasters, bloggers and journalists. The one thing they must have in common, apart from a love of music, is an original take on music.
D is for Download
Choose from daily shows on RBMA radio, podcasts and tons of music all free to download from the Red Bull Music Academy site. The radio station took to the airwaves in 2005 as a purely internet-based radio station but is now available as a conventional radio station in more than 30 countries. Plus there’s a truly vast collection of lectures to enjoy in the video archive.
E is for Events
Red Bull Music Academy has been in full session 14 times, starting in Berlin in 1998 and 99, it moved to Dublin in 2000 with New York and London sharing the honours in 2001. Then it was Sao Paulo in 2002, Cape Town in 2003, Rome in 2004, Seattle in 2005, Melbourne in 2006, Toronto in 2007, Barcelona in 2008 and back to London in 2010. Each venue saw a coming together of 60 music makers, movers and shakers joining in lectures from leading musicians, recording sessions and some legendary parties. And when the academy is in recess, you can find RBMA presences at such festivals as Sonár and Bestival.
M is for Matadero
That’s the venue for this year’s Academy in Madrid, Spain. The Matadero is one of Madrid’s most remarkable architectural sites and the city is busy transforming it into a new centre for contemporary arts. The Red Bull Music Academy will help lay the foundations for music at the Matadero which will become a cultural hub in the Spanish capital for years to come. That also gives the adademy organisers the perfect opportunity to design and build the studios for the 2011 Academy.
Y is for Yearbook
You can find profiles, Facebook links, videos and more from any of the Red Bull Music Academy lecturers, participants and organisers here.
Red Bull Music Academy World Tour: Amplifying local scenes beyond the beat from Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.
Want more?
- Learn more about the Red Bull Music Academy
- More music on Red Bull
- Indie music blog on Red Bull
- Dance music blog - Mary Anne Hobbs interview
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