When the sun finally returned to the city, the Academy was ready to offer the participants something they wouldn't forget: the remarkable stories of Eurico Cebolo and DâM-funK.
While everyone was left talking about the experience of Cebolo's very colourful life, a new character arrived on the scene, strutting through Oporto’s streets. Whether due to his music or the reaction he provokes, DâM-FunK epitomises the Academy.
"Funk is a lifestyle," was his answer to one of the questions asked. It could not be any other way as he pushes the boundaries of his musical territory, recreating well-known sounds before tearing them apart and rebuilding them in different dimensions.
DâM-FunK is like Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix as he fills the room with their enormous energy. "For me, George Clinton is the godfather of funk... not James Brown. He's the godfather of soul."
This was the beginning of a journey that led us through his childhood and his influences, proving that guns and drugs can occasionally produce a happy ending.
The cold Atlantic air that could be felt at Indústria's door didn’t give any clue as to what was happening inside: a boiling pot was ready to pour The Shine’s kuduro sounds over everyone. It’s always better to dance to their music than to write about it. The Shine are like an anthropologic journey, going on stage with sunglasses and vibrant multi-coloured clothes evoking the images and rhythms of Africa.
DâM – “Boogie” – funK inside a DJ booth? Yes, and the result was anything but a conventional DJ set. The booth and the dance floor are the same thing for the American who breaks every stereotype. The main goal is to fly. The dance floor became a melting pot for every kind of sound: boogie, soul, funk and a lot of improvisation.
DJ Ride followed him, his music taking us to places far away. The Red Bull Music Academy Porto Hub broadened many horizons. Outside, by the end of it all, the last image we were left with was the endless ocean.