Young people and big band music may not seem like an obvious match, but Burning Down the House sets genre boundaries and clichés ablaze. The musical language of the jazz orchestra is united with the legendary DJ Grazzhoppa on the turntables, the jaw-dropping voice of Mo Harcum and kick-ass MCs Mel Ross & Deco Comprehension. A performance that hits like a bomb and does not shy away from themes such as self-esteem, (a)social media and expensive self-censorship.
This project was created for pupils in the last years of high school.
Mel Ross, Deco Comprehension & Monique Harcum use their poignant lyrics to address issues that every young person struggles with at some point but doesn't always dare to talk about: from fakeness on social media and racism to the importance of (daring to) be yourself. In class, the pupils take this further: which themes do they recognise themselves in? Can they express their thoughts in rhymes and put on the table what otherwise remains unspoken?
DJ Grazzhoppa challenges the young people to search for the sounds of their environment. What does the classroom sound like, or the bus ride to school, or the neighbourhood where they live? The samples they collect reflect the thoughts in their heads.
The musicians of the Brussels Jazz Orchestra also have their say, because how can a drum, saxophone or trumpet solo convey or amplify an emotion musically?
Burning Down the House
In co-production with Muziekcentrum De Bijloke, Ghent
BJO team
