Kesiena Wanogho didn’t really get much out of the electronic dance music scene in her hometown. The Detroit native wanted to hear music that didn’t get much play in the city, which was characterised by hard, rather cold sounds. Her longing for a calming and grounding element within electronic music soon turned into her mission. And so she did what any aspiring musician would do: she got to work. In her music, the interdisciplinary artist Kesiena Wanogho aka Kesswa now blends jazz and electronica, soul and ambient music. Added to this are the rhythms and structures of traditional Nigerian music and performance elements that combine to create a common feeling: a musical meditation and an affirmative attitude towards the world. Kesswa’s debut EP ›Soften‹ was released in 2019, and her most recent work and interdisciplinary collaboration ›Is My Mind A Machine Gun?‹ premiered in 2021 on the digital platform of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
In 2020, Kesswa was granted the tandem residency in Berlin and Detroit, during which she collaborated with DJ, radio host and curator Tereza. The preliminary results were presented at the 2021 edition of the Pop-Kultur festival.
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