A weekend of performances, talks, workshops and community spaces celebrating Black People and People of colour Creatives in Aberdeen and Scotland in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts
BOOK TICKETS
BOOK TICKETS
Friday 6 May
The Lemon Tree | 5pm
Friday 6 May
The Lemon Tree | 7pm
Saturday 7 May
Music Hall | Daytime
Saturday 7 May
Music Hall | Daytime
Saturday 7 May
Music Hall | Daytime
Saturday 7 May
Music Hall | Daytime
Saturday 7 May
Look Again Project Space| 2pm
Saturday 7 May
The Lemon Tree | 7.30pm
Keynote
Yahya Barry
The official launch for Rise Up! 2023 Our keynote speaker is Leader and Consultant in Culture, Heritage and the Creative and Screen Industries Yahyah Barry. He is the Community Development Lead (Scotland & Northern Ireland) for the Film and Television Charity, and a Member of the Board of Creative Scotland.
CABARET
Join us for a exciting opening night of Rise Up for artistic exploration and expression! Our cabaret evening will feature a diverse array of performances, including poetry, spoken word, dance performance, and a captivating theatre performance.
Courtney Stoddart
Poetry
Courtney Stoddart is an acclaimed Scottish poet, writer and performer. In June 2019, Courtney took part in the BBC Radio 1xtra and BBC Contains Strong Language Festival Word’s First Talent Scheme, making it to the final 12. She was selected to be published in an anthology by Own It! London and edited by Jude Yawson, co-writer of Stormzy’s Rise Up: The Story So Far. Stoddart starred in Hannah Lavery’s ‘Lament for Sheku Bayoh’ for 3 years running at the Lyceum Theatre and has represented Scotland at FLUP! literary festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, whilst also being named as one of YWCA’s 30 under 30 in 2020.
She has appeared on a panel at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, featured on Damian Barr's Big Scottish Book Club on BBC Scotland and published in Neu Reekie’s #Neu Voices. As of 2021, she was announced as an Ignite Fellow with the Scottish Book Trust, and gained a First Class Masters degree in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. Courtney was also recently commissioned alongside Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for the the BBC Centenary.
Sara Sharaawi
Theatre/Play
Sara Shaarawi is a playwright from Cairo, living in Glasgow. Her work has been performed across Scotland and the UK, as well as Egypt, Uganda, and South Africa. She has written work for the stage as well as audio drama, and has recently worked with companies such as Wonderfools and Imaginate Festival to create work with and for young people. She enjoys working in a variety of contexts and finds the diversity in writing for performance thrilling.
Writing credits include: Niqabi Ninja (IAP/Hewar Theatre), Sister Radio (Stellar Quines/Pitlochry Festival Theatre), The Day the Stampers United (Wonderfools).
Photo by Henry Bell
Safeena Rashid
Comedy
Safeena is a fully qualified Scottish advocate who delved into the world of comedy after thinking about a racist comment made to her. When she thought about the stupidity of it in the cold light of day, it dawned on her that she could probably turn it into stand-up. In 2019 she contacted different open mic places, performed and enjoyed it so much that the comedy dream was born. As a So You Think You're Funny 2022 semi finalist, she's quietly contemplating her future of law vs comedy.
Dorine Mugisha
Dance
Dorine Mugisha is a dancer, choreographer and instructor. She performed and competed across the UK and internationally with London based The Archetype (World of Dance UK, World of Dance LA, Hotstepper, Breakin’ Convention, Dancers Delight, Move it). Then following her move to Scotland, she joined A.K.O, training, teaching, choreographing and performing at events such as UEFA Euro 2021, Elevate dance and more.
She is currently focusing on her individual path as an artist, primarily through W(h)aacking. She has been entering battles across Europe, winning competitions such as Waack The World (Greece) and Disconnection Jam (UK), finalist at Werk The Floor (UK). She has also been focusing on doing research on identities, recently performing at Open Art Surgery in Edinburgh, as well as reconnecting with Tanzania, performing and sharing there. She is continuing to develop that piece of work and will be performing at The Fringe Festival, Breakin Convention and at the Rise Up Festival.
She continues to learn, develop, share and unapologetically rediscover her love for dance and the infinity of freedom in movement. She advocates that everyBODY can dance.
PANELS
A Sonic Hug Presents: How do we improve the mental health and wellbeing of BPoC creatives in Scotland
In association with mental health podcast A Sonic Hug, this is a panel featuring creative practitioners and a healthcare professional looking at ways we can protect our mental health and wellness while working in the industry. This panel will be also recorded as part of a live podcast.
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Halina Rifai podcast producer, music writer, PR & digital marketer. She founded music site Podcart in 2009 and went on to become a Podcast Producer, working with the likes of BBC Scotland, Mental Health Foundation, Fringe of Colour and more. Her mental health podcast A Sonic Hug is part of The Big Light network and has gained praise and acclaim from the likes of The Guardian, The Metro and The Times. She also works in Communications for We Are Here Scotland.
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Brenda Vengessa is a poet, writer and diversity and inclusion advocate. She has worked in the Accounting and Finance sector for over 10 years. She is currently working full time whilst working on her first novel and poetry collection. Brenda has also worked on stage where she has performed in amateur musical theatre with the MAMA (Musselburgh Amateur Musical Association). She used the lockdown period to reignite her passion for the arts and sharpen her skills.
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Shaun Noteman is a mental health therapist based in Glasgow and practices in Preston and Glasgow. He is a registered psychotherapeutic counselling and clinical hypnotherapist. He recently moved to Scotland in 2023 and works with emotional and behavioural conditions. He specialises in neurodiversity, such as ADHD and spectrum disorders.
Previously he was a successful sports coach and athlete, through which he discovered the health benefits of movement and structure on mental health.
His studies and practices also include holistic therapies, including both the physical and energetic approaches. He is a Qigong & Kung Fu teacher and a Reiki master
He now combines his years of knowledge and experience to provide a researched based and holistic approach to mental health care.
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Shirin Karbor is an Italian-Iranian illustrator and designer based in Edinburgh. An advocate of traditional drawing, Shirin’s work features a world of lively characters, humour and bold expressive lines inspired by her love for classic animation, graphic design and European comics. Exploring the links between creativity and wellbeing, Shirin has worked with various charities and schools using drawing as a tool for building confidence, increasing representation and showing that art can be accessible to everyone. After studying Graphic Design at Gray’s School of Art, Shirin spent the following years involved in the Aberdeen creative scene before moving to Edinburgh where she is currently the project lead for Create Community Wealth, a Culture Collective project in partnership with WHALE Arts and North Edinburgh Arts.
Generational Experiences as a BPoC Creative
Creatives from different generations discuss their experiences growing up and working in Scotland and how their journeys compare.
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Arusa Qureshi is a writer and editor based in Edinburgh, and a passionate advocate for diversity and accessibility within arts and culture. She is the current Editor of Fest and the former Editor of The List and writes mostly about music, most recently Flip the Script – a book about women in UK hip hop, published by 404 Ink. Her work has appeared in the Scotsman, Clash, The Guardian, GoldFlakePaint, Time Out, NME and more. She has previously been shortlisted for PPA Scotland's Young Journalist of the Year award and was also a winner of the Allen Wright Award for quality writing in arts journalism. She is on the board of the Scottish Music Centre.
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Amanjit is a law graduate and future trainee solicitor who also enjoys writing law-based newspaper articles. Over the past year, she has written articles for The National and The Press & Journal newspaper with a primary focus on human rights and immigration law. She has also featured on podcasts for the theatre company, Stellar Quines, and was listed on Scotland’s 30 under 30 list in 2022.
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Ica Headlam is Creative Practitioner based in Aberdeen. He moved to Scotland in 2004 and is also a qualified Social Worker who works with vulnerable young adults across the city.
In late 2017 Ica started to independently produce and host Creative Me Podcast a fortnightly show that explores creativity and arts in the North East of Scotland, with the aim of drawing a wider focus on Aberdeen's creative community.
Ica is also the founder of We Are Here Scotland which is an organisation that aims to amplify the voices of Black and People of Colour artists and creatives across Scotland's creative industries. Ica is a strong advocate for representation across the creative sector and values the importance of open and honest dialogue.
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Adjei started off in the music industry as a session drummer, working with a lot of popular bands in the 80s. He then went on to form a band as a singer-songwriter, signing to Chrysalis Records (EMI), before going on to work as a manager, managing the likes of Neneh Cherry and Terence Trent D’Arby. He has also worked in A&R for Universal Records, EMI Records and Sanctuary Music and started a dance label, Sacred Records. More recently, he set up a new management company, Sacred Creative Artists, and a new record/publishing company, UJ Music. In addition, he is one of the founders of the Versus Cancer Charity, putting on concerts at the Manchester Arena for cancer patients in the city, and also founded Stigma, a charity that organises concerts in aid of mental health.
Uncomfortable Conversations in Safe Spaces
Exploring how we encourage and foster conversations around diversity, inclusion, equality and more in the creative industries.
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Nasim Rebecca Asl is a Glasgow based poet and journalist. Her work has been published widely in magazines and anthologies, including in Poetry Wales, The Dark Horse and Gutter. Nasim has worked on projects with the likes of The Poetry Translation Centre, The Poetry Business and the Rugby League World Cup. She received a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award for Poetry in 2021 and was shortlisted for the 2022 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award. Her debut pamphlet, Nemidoonam was recently published by Verve Poetry Press.
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Originally from Tanzania, now based in Glasgow, Salma has worked, performed, taught and shared joy alongside inspiring choreographers and communities worldwide. She is passionate about travel and Human Rights and spent 5 months volunteering as a Human Rights Ambassador in Brazil and Columbia, teaching Dance and English conversation in a Language exchange programme.
Her current vulnerable journey as dance artist in residence for Dance North/AIM ( Artists in Moray ) / The Culture Collective involves breaking the barriers of diversity and representing our unique voices in a multicultural society. Her passion is Dance, although she has many others. She aims to bring ethnic, cultural and diverse communities together through a mix of laughter, movement and fun.
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Jideofor Muotune is a multi-platform content creator with over 30 years combined experience in the music and broadcasting industries. He is passionate about Equality Diversity and Inclusion and how all art forms can inform nuanced debate about race and culture in Scotland.
His skill set runs from legal and business affairs to radio feature, podcast, music, short form video and remote online production (during lockdown he produced this session for June Sarpong’s online festival of Black creativity - https://bbc.in/3JD6MW8).
Jideofor believes that improving EDI is not a spectator sport but requires the constant interrogation of a ‘critical friend’.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria but brought up in Glasgow, Jideofor has launched a platform - theafrowegian.org - to do just this
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Elaine Cheng 鄭依玲 (she/her) is a composer/sound artist from Edinburgh, Scotland and from Hong Kong descent. Her practice is currently based around producing drone music from analog and modular synthesisers and has come from a compositional background in electroacoustic music. As Artist in Residence with Art27scotland, Elaine has utilised free improvisation as a compositional tool in her work. Elaine has studied at Goldsmiths, University of London, Newcastle University and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. She has released music with NX Records, TingShuo HearSay and The Lumen Lake. Her music has been played on various independent radio shows as well as BBC Radio 3 and NTS Radio.
WORKSHOPS
Creative Writing with Andrés N Ordorica
An Ode to Friendship
“Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.”
—Maya Angelou, Alone
In this 60-minute workshop, led by Andrés N Ordorica, participants will explore the power of friendships and how writers across time have attempted to capture the intimate subtleties of this unique type of human relationship. Through a series of free-writes and structured exercises, participants will be invited to reflect on friendships, both new and old, those we have just met and those we have lost touch with. Together, we will craft work that is personal while delving into deeper societal understandings of friendships and communities. Although, we will look closely at the work of poets, participants are invited to write in any style that suits them (poetry, prose, memoir, etc). This workshop is aimed at all levels of writers as well as those new to writing.
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Andrés N. Ordorica is a queer Latinx writer based in Edinburgh. His writing maps the journey of his diasporic experience and unpacks what it means to be from ni de aquí, ni de allá. He has been published widely including The Guardian, The Acentos Review, The Skinny, Gutter, Poetry Unbound and Bella Caledonia. His writing has been shortlisted for The Saltire Society’s Poetry Book of The Year, the Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour and the Mo Siewcharran Prize. He is the author of the poetry collection At Least This I Know (404 Ink).
Plus more to be announced!
RISE UNDER
The first Rise Under which is part of Rise Up! Festival and aimed at 12-17 year olds will see a series of workshops running exploring filmmaking, music and screenprinting. There will also be an Open Mic to help showcase new talent in the field of music, spoken word, poetry and creative expression.
FINISHING THE SONG WORKSHOP
Join Chef The Rapper for "Finishing The Song," the ultimate workshop for taking your music to the next level. This workshop is perfect for artists of all skill levels who are looking to enhance their creative process and complete their musical projects. Not only will you learn valuable techniques for writing and restructuring your music, but Chef The Rapper will also provide you with expert advice on collaboration, choosing the best collaborators, and what to do with your music once it's complete.
During this immersive workshop, Chef The Rapper will show you a range of writing techniques that will help writers of all genres take your creativity to the next level. From beginner tips to advanced methods, this workshop will cover it all. You'll learn how to develop effective processes for creating and completing your music projects, and Chef The Rapper will provide guidance on how to know when a song is truly finished.
In addition to all this, you'll also receive tips on how to source quality feedback for your music and what to do once your project is complete.
As a bonus, Chef The Rapper will take submissions of any music, whether finished or unfinished, and provide feedback on all pieces for all attendees. This is a rare opportunity to receive invaluable feedback from an industry professional and take your music to the next level.
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Chef is an emerging MC cooking up a storm with an eclectic sound showcasing an exceptional talent for skilled lyricism, in-depth storytelling and impactful punchlines in both his up-tempo and slowed-down beats.
Born out of Aberdeen, Scotland, Chef spent much of his childhood in London, Nigeria and the US (mainly Baltimore and Atlanta). His music draws from inspirations from all these areas and takes listeners on a journey through Southern US rap, UK Grime, Afrobeat and Jazz.
Backed by Radio 1 as one of their Top Tips for 2022, Chef has found himself as one of the most prominent artists in the Scottish scene. This is highlighted by 2 Scottish Alternative Music Award nominations in 2021 and the numerous features from platforms, including BBC Radio Scotland, Link Up TV, Up2Stndrd, STV and CLASH Magazine.
Following being shortlisted for 2023 BBC Introducing Act of the Year, Chef’s latest endeavours see him delve further into his multi-genre abilities, blending sounds of hip hop, rap, funk, trap and grime to create a truly unique sound.
A pioneer of true showmanship, Chef lives for breaking the rules of convention, and by the words “Do What You Love”.
FILMMAKING ON A BUDGET
A short introduction with Sara Stroud to the basics of filmmaking using your phone or iPad. Create a film through games and play. Learn to create a story from random objects and sounds. You will need an iPhone, iPad or android device for filming. If you need to borrow a device please let us know and we can provide you with one. This short course will teach you how to film and edit. You will learn the basics of filmmaking on a budget using your mobile device.
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Sara Stroud is a creative film practitioner with over two decades of filmmaking experience. She also is a leading education consultant in Moving image education for Screen Scotland, recently starting Screen education Aberdeen. She also is an Artist and has experience in training & delivering workshops across primary, secondary, HE & FE sectors.
Sara loves to work on different film commissions. Recent project include, Friends of the Earth Scotland, APA and Aberdeen creative funding. Her latest work is a documentary film exploring themes of love, loss & connection in the digital age. Her own creative practice allows for emotional expression, healing, alongside creating entertaining content. Sara has a diverse range of creative skills from traditional to digital. She loves helping others express their creativity and imagination through storytelling and filmmaking.
Screen education Scotland
www.sarastroud.com
SCREENPRINTING (ALL AGES WELCOME)
Aberdeen-based visual artists Caitlin Dick and Phoebe McBride will be facilitating a screen-printing workshop for Rise Up. Participants will have the exciting opportunity to have a taster experience of screen-printing as well as printing their own We Are Here Scotland tote bag.
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Caitlin Dick is a visual artist based in Aberdeen. Her practice is inspired by the environment, utilising sculpture, film and printmaking to realise her ideas. Her most recent works Unearthed Groundings was exhibited as part of Aberdeen Performing Arts Wonderland Festival in 2022 and a newly commissioned film piece, Tun which was exhibited in February 2023 as part of the OuterSpaces exhibition InSitu.
Caitlin graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen in 2017 and went on to complete a Masters at Edinburgh College of Art in 2018. She currently lives and works in Aberdeen as an artist and creative practitioner.
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Phoebe McBride is a multidisciplinary visual artist and creative practitioner based in Aberdeen, Scotland. Her practice is involved in using fiction as a method to explore real, imagined and inaccessible spaces. Currently her research is interested in the role of fiction in grief-work and navigating ecological loss. Recent works include On Becoming a Water Bat: echoes of an unseen world : an online moving image commission for LUX Scotland and Through Smoke and Varnish , a multimedia installation exhibited as part of Aberdeen Performing Arts Wonderland festival.
She holds a BA Hons in Fine art Painting and Printmaking from Glasgow School of Art (2017.)
OPEN MIC
Join us for an exciting open mic event hosted by Mae Diansangu, exclusively for young performers aged 12-17! This is an opportunity for musicians, singers, poets, and other performers to showcase their talents in front of a supportive audience.
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Mae Diansangu is a poet and spoken word artist from Aberdeen. She has performed at literary festivals across Scotland and appeared on BBC Scotland's Big Scottish Book Club and BBC Radio 4's Tongue and Talk. Her series of poems "black lives, heavy truths" is part of the National Library of Scotland's collection. You can read her work in the anthologies "Tales fae the Doric Side" and "Re creation - a queer poetry anthology". Mae writes in both English and Doric and is working on her first collection.
Live Podcast
Join best friends turned co-hosts of Black Scot Pod Suzie Mwanza and Shirley Mcpherson for a live podcast with guest Muslim Alim (Commissioning Editor, BBC Daytime TV).
In this special live episode of Black Scot Pod, we will be exploring the important topic of diversity and inclusion in the creative industries, the focus here on TV.
Black Scot Pod
Launched due to a lack of Black Scottish voices in mainstream media, best friends turned co-hosts Suzie Mwanza and Shirley Mcpherson share their experiences and opinions of growing up in Scotland in this ground-breaking podcast. The two also offer commentary on a wide range of topics from cultural to current events- to the latest trends taking social media by storm- all delivered with a side of traditional Scottish banter!
The show has garnered significant attention, regularly featuring in Apple and Spotify's 'Black Voices' playlists and boasting notable guests such as former Pussycat Doll, Melody Thornton, Stephenson Arden-Sodje (Simba) of Disney's The Lion King UK Tour, and New York Times Best Selling Author Faridah Abike Iyimide.
Suzie and Shirley's influence extends beyond their podcast, as they have been featured in The List Magazine's Hot 100 for 2022, celebrating 100 of the most influential Scots in Arts and Culture. The dynamic duo has also taken part in the BBC Scotland show, 'Scotland's Greatest Escape', and Channel 4's digital series, 'Hot Takes'. They are also proud judges for The British Podcast Awards for the third year running.
Muslim Alim
Muslim has been with the BBC for 21years producing award-winning content across radio, tv and digital. Starting as a Researcher in TV Entertainment he went on to produce programmes for BBC Radio 1 and was the co-creator of digital youth brand BBC The Social where he commissioned multi-genre content including partnerships with News, a YouTube drama set in Edinburgh and a slew of viral hits with digital creators.
He joined Daytime TV commissioning 6 years ago and looks after some of the department's longstanding titles such as ‘Homes Under The Hammer’ and ‘Antiques Road Trip’ alongside new commissions such as ‘The Travelling Auctioneers’ and 'Clive Myrie's Italian Road Trip' - he is also Nations lead for BBC Daytime TV in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
LOOK AGAIN PROJECT SPACE
Noon Salah Eldin
& Helen Love Present: “Loved Seeds”
Multimedia artist Helen Love and poet Noon Salah Eldin use art as a form of activism.
Combining clay, poetry and projection in this performance, they will make a three dimensional family tree of the nine children of an enslaved woman from 1832 Jamaica who have connections to Aberdeen.
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Noon Salah Eldin is a poet and spoken word artist based in Aberdeen, Scotland. Born and raised in Sudan, she moved to the UK in 2015 to pursue postgraduate medical training in child health. Writing and performing poetry has become an increasingly important part of her life. It has empowered her to process and discuss experiences of childhood traumas, political upheaval, migration and motherhood. She believes that art can be a powerful tool for personal and social transformation and has been asked to share her poems by governmental, NGO, and civil-society organizations. Part of art and activist duo Eldin&Love since 2020.
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Helen Love is a multimedia artist (film, ceramics, glass), of immigrant parents (Denmark, South Africa) but rooted in Aberdeen. She been a community artist and art school ceramics technician for many years and has exhibited installations in Denmark and the Faroes,. She is mother of four and after losing her street artist son to overdose, sees her art interventions around the city as a continuity of his legacy. Having met Eldin at a protest they joined words with visualisations to show the unseen behind Aberdeen’s built legacies of slavery and tell their own intimate stories of identity connected to the local rivers.
LIVE MUSIC
A night to celebrate and champion an array of Black and People of Colour talent from across Scotland, who are changing the narrative within the country's music scene.
4TUNE
When four different Scottish backgrounds collided, 4TUNE came to life. A new, young, and fresh pop/R&B girl group formed of four completely different girls who are all chasing the same dream. The group wish to be Scotland's first successful and next generation band whilst making a change in the music industry for young girls. Hope, Tia, Tamara, and Calla wish to make this change with their upbeat yet relatable pop/ R&B sound, partnered with their unique identities. 4TUNE have a lot planned for 2023 and they can't wait to show you what they've been working on!
RUE COOPER
Rue Cooper is a singer and songwriter from Nassau, Bahamas. Now based in Edinburgh, Rue’s love for music was apparent from age 2 when she frequently communicated with her parents through song. Fortified by childhood piano and saxophone lessons, Rue’s musicality led her to musical theatre and orchestra in grade school and to begin songwriting as a young teenager. Classic gospel chord influences are evident in Rue’s style as an emerging vocalist bringing a reimagined, modern take on Funk, Soul, and Disco to Edinburgh and beyond. Rue’s musical influences include Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Adele, as she believes singing’s true beauty lies in its ability to express intimate and authentic messages. Currently, Rue is the vocalist and songwriter for Groove Down, an Edinburgh-based disco-soul band whose original music proves that funk lives on, and we're all part of its beautiful legacy.
DJANA GABRIELLE
A 2019 Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Stage Winner, and one of the “most note-worthy performances” at the 2019 Kintyre Songwriters' Festival, Djana Gabrielle is a French-Cameroonian singer-songwriter who has been honing her craft on the Scottish music scene for a few years now. She released her debut EP, recorded in Glasgow, in late 2015 and toured around the UK and Europe to promote it. In 2018, she took on the challenge to write, record and release a brand-new song each month, which earned her a "New & Notable" feature on the American music platform Noisetrade. She is now working on various theatre projects as well as her next release, hoping to introduce her soulful, soothing, and melodious sound to new audiences in Scotland and beyond.
POOYAN SAADATI (DJ SET)
Pooyan is an Iranian DJ/Producer based in Aberdeen. In 2011 he gravitated towards a diverse array of musical styles , as demonstrated by his music collection. As he used to play video games , got enthusiast to games sound track hence between 2011-2013 he was interested in contemporary Classical , electronica and ambient by Jesper Kyd , sumptuous piano-led electronic music by Yoko Shimomura. His lifestyle created the perfect landscape to push through his musical boundaries refers to his collection 2013-2016 which involves progressive rock , alternative rock by Anathema , deep house by Nicolas Jaar and progressive house by Above & Beyond. Although the Tehran underground party was not ineffective, since Pooyan discovered his music style he proceeded to learn DJ and Production tutorials. Currently he works Professionally on Techno and Progressive house.