International Musicians including Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), gather to spread positive messages in Copenhagen.
The Transparency International’s biennial concert, Fair Play Live, was filled with quality performances, high energy and a vibrant crowd. The long queues outside heightened the anticipation of what the night had to offer.
On October 23, VEGA’s concert hall in Copenhagen was taken over by high energy music and a vibrant crowd all singing for the end of corruption. The winners of the biennial Fair Play music competition’s original anti-corruption, pro-integrity and social justice entries were the focus for most of the night with international rapper Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) headlining the event. Supporting them too was Nasseman, a reggae singer and former Fair Play winner from Liberia.
Faith Mussa, a Malawian afro-soul one-man band was the first to awaken the after-work crowd. His smooth vocals and an engaging performance truly set the bar high the rest of the performances to follow. Much to the delight of the crowd, he effortlessly managed multiple instruments and did very interesting live loops in his afrobeat mash up. His performance ended with an unexpected saxophone performance by the Peter Eigen (founder of Transparency International). Soon after, Rain in Sahara rocked out the crowd to an Indian pop fusion in their musical fight against corruption. The award-winning band used strong lyrics and graphics to educate and entertain the audience. Though a total contrast to the previous performance, their high energy brought a whole new dimension to the event. “It is very nice to see so many people coming together for this cause,” said one attendee.
Many the audience members came from the Transparency International conference that culminated with Fair Play Live. Haga Que Pase was the last of the anti-corruption performances to entertain them. They brought the flavours of Columbia to heat up the stage. Much could be taken from their performance as the theatrics and stunning dance moves pleased the crowd from start to finish.
The string of performances opened the way for the act of the night, Yasiin Bey. The hip-hop legend quickly captured the eager crowd by emceeing the ‘The Embassy’ from his 2009 album. His enthralling performance took place on an on a rose petal filled stage dawned with dim blue lights, making him appear to be a silhouette for the most part. Nevertheless, the audience enjoyed the entertainment value and made it known by singing the words of his songs. Moreover, his dancing showed that he wasn’t hiding his enjoyment, which was well appreciated by the audience.
Yasiin ended the night on a high, leaving much to be expected for the next staging of Fair Play live. The interesting mix of anti-corruption messages and music was well received by the audience, highlighting the potential for the initiative to become something bigger.
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