Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends

In the organizer's words:

Saul Williams, the revolutionary poet and sound visionary, meets Carlos Niño, the celebrated architect of modern spiritual jazz - for the worldwide premiere of their joint project. This exclusive Berlin show promises an explosive synthesis of activist word art and cosmic soundscapes.

Saul Williams - the voice of a cross-generational movement since his Rick Rubin-produced debut Amethyst Rock Star (2001) - combines the power of poetry slam with the radicalism of hip-hop and the depth of avant-garde music like no other. His albums (including the iconic The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!) are manifestos against cultural hegemony, his current MartyrLoserKing project a multimedia reckoning with digital colonization. As an actor ("Slam"), book author and performer in places such as the White House or the Louvre, Williams is constantly redefining what committed art can be.

At his side: Carlos Niño, the man behind André 3000's groundbreaking New Blue Sun and creative head of Carlos Niño & Friends. The L.A.-based percussionist and producer - a student of spirits such as Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane - has been shaping the sound of contemporary spiritual jazz for two decades. His work with Kamasi Washington, Floating Points and his own Build An Ark collective is at the intersection of free improvisation and sacred sound meditation.