There are festivals that pride themselves on how different, diverse and multifaceted they are. The net result is hot air mixed with some rainbow color. And then there are festivals that bring cultures together and have more to offer than the obligatory female act. These include the İÇ İÇE Festival, which takes place in Munich from July 13th to 15th. Everyone, everyone, is allowed to merge here – in an Anatolian way. “The festival stands for hybrid identities, for the acceptance of multiple affiliations and for life in post-migrant society,” says the announcement.
Translated, İÇ means İÇE, the Turkish characters are pronounced itsch itsche, intertwined or interwoven. Under this name, the three-day cultural festival celebrates new Anatolian music in the form of panels, workshops, walk-in performances, DJs and live music in the Habibi Kiosk, in the Kammerspiele itself and in Import Export. There, on Saturday, the last day of the festival, an open-air stage awaits with a lineup that packs Anatolian sounds into different genres and forms.
The two bands are traveling from Vienna EsRap and Gasmac Gilmore which, among other things, connects the old workers’ district of Ottakring. EsRap are the siblings Esra and Enes Özme, who in their mixed German-Turkish lyrics deal with being a stranger in their own country, dedicate themselves to being a woman in the male-dominated hip-hop world and use rap as resistance. They have been producing music together with the instrumental rock band Gasmac Gilmore for years, resulting in the song “Reden über Wien” and a joint album that will be released in September 2023.
The Syrian-Arab duo TootArd is packed with pop hooks and melodic lyrics mixed with retro funk and reminiscent of 80’s Middle Eastern dance floors. Born in Munich and now living in Berlin, Nalan Karacagil, better known as Slimgirl Fat, mixes genres as a DJ and producer. In addition to contemporary pop and hip-hop, she also creates dancehall and reggaeton. Finally presented Booty Carell his vinyl collection, while Katscha ensures the right feel for the DJ set. More merging of sounds, genres and cultures is no longer possible.
İÇ İÇE Festival, Thursday 13 July to Saturday 16 July, Import Export, Habibi Kiosk and Kammerspiele, admission from 6 p.m. Info: https://itsch-itsche.com/