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Hip hop and opera are two worlds governed by different codes. We could easily play the game of differences: they were not born at the same time nor in the same conditions, they do not have the same targets, nor the same claims.
Whereas in hip hop there is a whole dimension of opposition, a claim to freedom and a very committed message, in opera there is above all a claim to aesthetics and virtuosity.
And yet, despite these differences, they have ONE thing in common, which lies in the definitions. Indeed, these words are portmanteau words that mean several things.
When we talk about Hip Hop we talk about a culture, a musical genre and also a style of dance.
When we talk about opera, we talk about a kind of musical show, a place and, incidentally, a type of French cake.
Apart from that, everything seems to oppose them, and yet in many cases we find that the so-called opposites attract, as is the case with several cultural events.
Among these is the Hip Hop Symphonique concert that takes place every year in Paris at Radio France headquarters in which rappers perform their titles accompanied by a philharmonic orchestra.
Then there is also the show “Les Indes Galantes” by Clément Cogitore: an opera ballet from 1735 adapted with Hip Hop dancers.
It is a subject that mixes personal convictions and professional aspirations. We already had vague knowledge on the subject and it was this what made us want to go deeper into it. We grew up in the Hip-Hop world, we followed its evolutions and today we wonder about its future.
For my part, to talk about these two worlds is to talk about the whole relationship of my art practice “at home” and “at school”.
Indeed, when I was younger I was part of a neighborhood house that gave us the opportunity to do hip hop, in my neighborhood we all listened to hip hop and the shows we had the opportunity to attend and participate in were hip hop battles. And then, at school, I was given all the prospect of indoor performance, where I was able to go to the theatre, see philharmonie concerts play, and also see the Opera.
For me, these two worlds also represent personal culture and the culture instilled by the school.
Today, and even more so as part of our bachelor’s degree, we have the opportunity to work on current topics in art, and it is an opportunity to highlight things that we hear less about and that are important to us.
It’s a way to bring home culture to school.
The idea for this topic came while we were discussing the topics we wanted to research. We started from what drove us personally… The topic came up quite quickly after the announcement of the blog exercise.
For a few days I had been listening on repeat to the interpretation of an artist who participated in the Symphonic Hip Hop.