RBMA Paris 2015 - Photo Highlights

With 29 participants coming from Bahrain, Brazil, Belgium and beyond, Red Bull Music Academy Paris offered innumerable opportunities for collaboration and mutual inspiration. More important than the eclectic final results, though, was the creative exchange facilitated by the participant’s sheer energy as well as via the crack team of lecturers and studio advisors. Although the Academy was cut short due to tragedy in Paris, there was an abundance of experiences that reminded all of us of the continued power of music to inspire and unite even in trying times.

The first party featured a surprise appearance by gospel disco legends the Joubert Singers, joining Francois K onstage for their classic “Stand on the Word.” Vessel’s aggressive set at the Sonic A/Vantgarde showcase, meanwhile, was balanced out by Floating Points debuting his affectingly subtle live show at Parisian jazz venue New Morning. DJ Funk also brought his usual profane energy to Le Petit Bain for a raucous bass party on the Seine, and there were plenty of stunning performances by participants, too.

In the lecture hall at Academy headquarters la Gaîte lyrique, Sheila E. drummed on glass bottles with ballpoint pens to demonstrate her percussion work on Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and Brian Jackson hopped on the Fender Rhodes to play his and Gil Scott-Heron’s “Home Is Where the Hatred Is.” French-Congolese superstar Papa Wemba showed off his still-fresh dance moves, UK producer Kindness discussed his inclusive musical vision and fashion soundtrack maven Michel Gaubert dished on sneaking Oneohtrix Point Never into haute couture fashion shows, to name just a few highlights. Finally, Laurie Anderson came through in the wake of the devastating attacks to talk about how art and artists respond to tragedy, an essential and ultimately uplifting close to the 2015 Academy.