International industry meets global and local talent in Rotterdam
The sophomore edition of Buma Rotterdam Beats included everything from a performance by the rapper currently topping the Dutch charts, to a workshop by the winner of the inaugural State Award for Best Producer. It also welcomed a significantly larger delegate list that included top European and American managers, bookers, industry pioneers and several widely respected innovators from the European urban scene. Alongside that, the night-time program showcased genres ranging from soul and roots reggae, to hip hop, moombahton, dancehall and tropical bass across five venues around the city centre. The second edition of Buma Rotterdam Beats – the business platform and showcase festival for hip hop, r&b, soul, reggae and dubstep – took a significant step towards fulfilling its promise as an unmissable part of the yearly conference calendar.
Highlights of this second edition – which took place 17-19 November – include the first appearance in the Netherlands of fast-rising hip-hop sensation Action Bronson, the powerful, visceral soul music of Charles Bradley, frenetic rap from Nouveau Riche (who dominated the State Awards), and a comprehensive program of inspiring, engaging panels, workshops and master classes.
During the daytime conferences, producer Om’Mas Keith (who worked on recent albums by Jay-Z and Kanye West) gave delegates exclusive, intimate insight into his production style, 50 Cent’s DJ and business partner Whoo Kid, took the public into the world of hip-hop business empires and guerrilla marketing, while MIT researcher Wayne Marshall revealed his fascinating anthropological study of the influence of Rotterdam in today’s global music scene.
Buma Rotterdam Beats is intent on establishing itself as a truly international platform, and this second edition confirmed that status through countless positive reactions from the growing numbers of international visitors, many of whom commented positively on the variety and relevance of the daytime program, the emphatic presence of new European talent, and the greater creative possibilities of this type of professional networking event.
Artists and producers from the Netherlands established important new contacts amongst publishers, bookers and managers from abroad. Kraantje Pappie, the rapper from Groningen, was booked for the Czech festival Hip Hop Kemp as a result of his stunning live performance at the festival which included a guest appearance with the popular British act Foreign Beggars.
During the three-day event a total of 600 conference delegates came together to network, do business and enjoy the concert schedule. The concerts drew 3.200 visitors, who could choose from an extensive, multi-genre program at five different venues in Rotterdam. The overall number of visitors to this second edition increased by fifteen percent compared to last year.
With this year’s edition Buma Rotterdam Beats made a significant step towards becoming the European platform for urban genres, in the same way that partner festivals Eurosonic Noorderslag and the Amsterdam Dance Event are for their respective sectors.
Buma Rotterdam Beats is organized by the Buma Rotterdam Beats Foundation, an initiative of Buma and De Nieuwe Oogst, and is supported by Sena.
This event is also part of the yearly agenda of Rotterdam Festivals. For a complete overview visit www.rotterdamfestivals.nl