Six artists. Six cities. Six human beings on the move, negotiating with their social order to find their place as creatives and express themselves musically. Inspiring and electrifying, the six portraits contained within the Off the Map collection explore what it means to be an artist from Kinshasa to Cairo, Johannesburg to Casablanca.
Released in six separate episodes, each 10 minute feature is totally immersive. Viewers follow the artist, emerging or established, through the daily challenges that arise by nature of their work, personality, city and society. Scramble through Kinshasa’s central market where music is distributed via USB through a network of territorial DJs, or wander onto a Cairo rooftop overlooking the Nile to wonder what it means to live post Arab Springs. Follow us Off the Map to spotlight stories and images often overlooked by the hungry eyes of excess and easy winnings. Here, the stories are real. The stakes are high. Passion is power.
“I’ve realized that Cairo is one big festival” – Molotof
Starting April 7th, PAM invites you to Cairo to meet young techno-mahraganat rapper and producer Molotof. Fighting the disenchantment of a failed revolution, Molotof channels his frustration into heavy bass and hard synths, blending it with the local sounds mahraganat for an electric catharsis. Directed by Arthur Larie and Bastien Massa (see Gidam: Drums of Protest in Khartoum) we see Cairo by neon night and the industrial outskirts of Molotof’s childhood while meeting the friends and family who encourage his work.
Next stop Kinshasa where reformed gang member Sitos carries packages to finance his music, “zagué style”, a hard pounding Congo-tronics preferred by the street gangs and translating to “on alert”. Strap in for this high octane adventure directed by Florent de la Tullaye (Benda Bilili, Pygmées Blues) and selected at the 2022 International Music Film Festival (FAME). After, we touch down in Lomé, Togo to follow Noire Velours as she constructs her identity out of her apparent differences, often judged too black in France or too white in Togo. Then, on to Casablanca for the gender bending vision of Kabareh Cheikats , Johannesburg as musical mad scientist Muzi takes the stage, and Roubaix with one of France’s most exciting rap up-and-comers (to be announced).
Are you ready to follow PAM Off the Map?
Find the first episode of the series on PAM’s YouTube channel starting April 7th.
