kirou kirou: an afropunk dj mix

We’ve been thinking about doing this for a long while — and now, the time has finally come to give the DJs some. Welcome to AFROPUNK’s series of exclusive DJ mixes, spotlighting the rare groove selectors, the skillful cutters, the deck magicians with the bangers, the ones who make the party go on and on. AFROPUNK is about a lot of different types of music, and we recognize that there are many kinds of DJ skills. But if you got the tunes and the flow, we’re gonna want to put you on. So keep it locked in.

Kicking off the AFROPUNK series of exclusive DJ mixes for Summer 2019 is Kirou Kirou, a young Parisian who is mixing hip-hop and R&B with Afro-trap and Baile Funk, and arriving at a beat-heavy sound of cosmopolitan global Blackness. He is one of the founders and the curator behind the 99Ginger collective, which recently dropped its first compilation, loveiswherethegingeris. Kirou Kirou will be playing at AFROPUNK Paris on Sunday, July 14th.

In addition to giving us a 25-minute primer of the kinda riddims we will hear at Le Seine Musicalle, Kirou Kirou gave us a little insight into his musical background and vision, and what he sees as his part in the AFROPUNK community. Listen and enjoy!

How did you first get into DJ’ing, and who are some DJing influences?

I have always loved music but I was just a digger. I was also a dancer surrounded by a lot of artists that had always been inspiring me. I had other favorite pastimes, such as photography, but all of a sudden I got tired of it and I needed to exploit my inspiration with another activity. Then, naturally I started DJing with my friends during summer of  2016, and I developed the taste of it, as I thought I could bring a fresh perception of club music. Moreover, I was at that moment beginning to work for Roche Musique, a French record label, so once again I was surrounded by a musical context that gave me the thirst to learn. One day, a friend of mine booked me and I played for the first time in front of one thousand people. I truly loved the experience and the energy out of it — seeing a crowd enjoying the tracks you decide to play is incredible. Regarding the DJs that motivated me, I can cite a bunch of my friends, such as Full Crate, Jarreau Vandal, and my dear and lovely friend Cezaire, alongside with all the artists of his label.

What kind of music do you want or expect to play at AFROPUNK?

I am going to play what I like, that is to say: baile funk, RnB, underground hip-hop, future beat, rap and sounds inherited from the British musical culture, without forgetting my classics.

What does the phrase “We See You” mean to you?

To me, it means that AFROPUNK cares about my personal musical background as a French-Ethiopian individual, but also cares about the Parisian scene that surrounds and influences me and my sets, which makes me extremely grateful. I am glad to share my culture and my tastes with its audience, which is also my audience and who I want to please above everything.

Kirou Kirou plays at AFROPUNK Paris on July 14th