RBMA Paris - Photo Highlights: October 29

“If you’re homophobic or racist, you shouldn’t be allowed to work in the music industry.” Those are the words of UK songwriter Kindness, delivering an emotional lecture tackling ideas of identity as well as giving an honest reckoning of the monetary impact of sudden success in the music industry. The participants later heard from Papa Wemba, a titanic figure in Congolese music as a founding member of Zaiko Langa Langa and the former leader of the Sapeurs, a movement promoting sharp dressing among Congolese youth. His lecture encompassed life in Kinshasa then and now, playing alongside James Brown and the eternal coexistence of music and dance.

The evening’s event was an afterparty for Pitchfork Music Festival Paris, featuring stellar performances by Academy participants Jade Statues out of Vancouver, John Pope from the Philippines, and Keight drawing a hometown crowd. Also making for a dynamic night were Gilligan Moss, French beatmaker Stwo, Belgian selector DJ Slow and the maximalist electronics of Rustie.