Synopsis

A promotional documentary for the BLNRB-NRBLN project, the video introduces a Nairobi-Berlin musical exchange built around collaboration rather than a single performer. It moves between artists, studio work, rehearsals, live performances, and the communal energy surrounding the project. Kenyan rappers and musicians appear alongside Berlin electronic acts, presenting the partnership as an active cultural meeting point where hip-hop, electronic music, and local musical traditions are developed together.

Factoids & Trivia

• The title combines shortened forms of Berlin and Nairobi: BLNRB and NRBLN.

• The project began in 2009 through a collaboration between the Goethe-Institut Nairobi and the Gebruder Teichmann brothers.

• Berlin contributors included Jahcoozi, Modeselektor, and Gebruder Teichmann. Kenyan participants included Ukoo Flani, Nazizi, Just A Band, Michel Ongaro, Mister Abbas, Kimya, Lon'Jon, and Radi.

• The musicians worked from a shared Nairobi house that became known as the "Madhouse." It contained makeshift recording studios and served as a place to record, sleep, eat, and develop the music collectively.

• The resulting album, "BLNRB - Welcome to the Madhouse," was released by Out Here Records on July 8, 2011, and contains 18 tracks.

• The video functions as a project trailer rather than a conventional narrative music video. Its emphasis is on the people, performances, and collaborative process behind the album.

• The project eventually brought its participating musicians together for a major performance at Berlin's Haus der Kulturen der Welt on December 1, 2010.