Conversations are a cornerstone of the Sonic Pluriverse Festival: Terapia’s discursive segment. By fostering dialogue, these discussions play a crucial role in  providing essential context for subsequent concerts, but also to amplify voices and articulate experiences, themes, and sounds that have been marginalized or overlooked. Through this series, artists from the Sonic Pluriverse Festival create a platform to discuss their practices and engage in a dialogue with guest artists to review shared experiences and exchange sonic insights with the audience. These live conversations are recorded and archived, contributing to the festival's publishing materials and forming a four-part podcast series. 

This conversation invites Ilê Aiyê and Ghostpoet to discuss the intersection of music, identity, and cultural heritage, focusing on the Afro-Brazilian bloco (street party). Ilê Aiyê celebrates African heritage through rhythm, dance, and community engagement, while Ghostpoet is known for his introspective and sensitive lyrics and genre-blending sound. By sharing experiences and stories, the two artistic contributions reveal a common experience; that of historical displacement and ongoing migration, and the way a place and culture shapes artistic expression.

Both Ilê Aiyê and Ghostpoet use their platforms to work on complex histories of dispossession and empowerment, fostering spaces for reflection on the African diaspora. Taking the resilience found in Ilê Aiyê’s music as a starting point, the discussion evolves around how the sonic can provide a context for identity formation. The conversation also illustrates how the two artists contribute to the ongoing struggle for cultural recognition and preservation of Afro-diasporic heritage.

Dr. Obaro Ejimiwe aka Ghostpoet 
Dr. Obaro Ejimiwe aka Ghostpoet is an artist, musician, DJ, and curator with a Nigerian background, playing a heady mix of Afro-diasporic sounds from his London upbringing and travels worldwide. Since 2021, Ghostpoet has been expanding the scope of his creative practice, using the visual arts as a new form of expression and mode of activism.

Ilê Aiyê
Established in 1974 in the Liberdade neighbourhood of Salvador, Bahia, Ilê Aiyê is not only a cultural and social organization, but also a musical powerhouse, celebrated for its unique Afro-Brazilian rhythms and captivating performances. Originally conceived as a carnival group exclusively for Black individuals, it emerged as a response to the systemic racism that marginalized their participation in the city’s official carnival circuit. Drawing inspiration from the Black Power and Black Panther movements, Ilê Aiyê aimed to honour African heritage while confronting social injustice.

Central to Ilê Aiyê’s musical expression is the genre of samba-reggae, which emerged in the 1970s as a response to the cultural and social inequalities faced by Black communities in Salvador. Ilê Aiyê played a pivotal role in popularizing this genre with its unique style and empowering message. The group’s music is characterized by powerful beats, intricate percussion arrangements, and vocal harmonies, featuring Afro-Brazilian instruments such as atabaque drums, agogô bells, and berimbaus, which create a rich and dynamic sonic landscape. They also draw inspiration from styles such as samba de roda and candomblé rhythms, serving as a direct link to the musical traditions of West Africa, where many enslaved people brought their cultural practices to Brazil during the transatlantic slave trade. Lyrically, Ilê Aiyê’s songs celebrate African heritage, pride, and resilience, while also addressing social issues such as racism, inequality, and poverty.

Ilê Aiyê’s performances are renowned for their iconic blend of elaborate costumes, choreographed dances, and electrifying energy, captivating audiences both in Brazil and around the world. Evolving beyond its origins as a carnival group, Ilê Aiyê has emerged as a cultural institution and a symbol of Afro-Brazilian pride. The organization hosts a variety of cultural events, including music festivals, dance performances, and educational programs, all aimed at promoting Black culture and fostering a deep sense of cultural identity and unity within the community.