STASH CREW & UMLILO present: Rainbow Riots
Somewhere over the rainbow the sky is a blue smoke and teargas, while undercover brothers and sisters lurk in dark corners of electronic dance floors and queer glitter anarchy ensues on the streets. Avant-garde muso-performance artists STASH CREW and Mzansi Kwaai Diva UMLILO bring audiences a unique potjie of lush electronic sounds, biting political commentary and a fierce ‘re-imagining’ of the apocalypse as we know it. Rainbow Riots is a live music and performance art extravaganza exploring all the spectrum of the rainbow nation. No topic is off bounds, no fashion is faux pas and reading is fundamental. Original music and visual eleganza is mandatory. The library is open.
The STASH CREW can be considered a performance art inspired electro rap crew based in Johannesburg South Africa. The crew undertakes a satirical approach to exploring South African politics, identity, sexuality, class issues and rainbow nation disillusionment through cutting lyrics, electro beats and a surreal visual statement. Launched in early 2014, STASH Crew has been described as ‘cutting political satire’; ‘Joburg’s question to Cape Town’s Die Antwoord’ and ‘rap re-imagined’. The Crew is made up of three main characters: Sybil Whyt-lyon; The Black Diamond Butterfly and Missy Phaya Fly with beats by Sista Beats Hlasko. STASH takes audiences on a journey that will leave them shocked, inspired, dancing and laughing hard. All the members of the Crew are a part of the LGBTQ+ community and work to raise awareness on equality through performance. STASH CREW’s much awaited EP, Origins, will be launched in August 2016.
UMLILO Multi-disciplinary performance artist and Mzansi Kwaai Diva Umlilo brings an avant-garde aesthetic, an eclectic mix of booty popping post kwaito sounds with lush dark compositions that have been heard internationally. The gender bending performer and producer’s signature sound dubbed ‘future kwaai’ explores and pushes the boundaries of electronic alt-pop music in contemporary South Africa and has been a regular fixture in the international music community. Umlilo released her second EP, Aluta in 2015 featuring Bokeh Award nominated single Chain Gang. Her Magic Man music video exhibited at Vitra Museum and Reciprocity, debuted in USA. The latest single Umzabalazo will be out in August 2016.
Audience Responses
electromic and queer - two of my favorite things
Awesome! I loved it!
Loved the performance- clever and creative satire, and beautiful beats. Wish there had been a larger audience to appreciate it along with me .