Is there a better way to spend one’s “Little Friday” than at an intimate venue in Berlin, discovering some upcoming artists, crying, laughing and singing along to their songs? To be front row, without any separation lines, not more than a centimeter away from the performers?
In case your answer is “no” then you guessed absolutely correctly! This is the reason why we packed our bags last night, put on our finest outfits, and attended a monthly club night called “Ja Ja Ja” at the FluxBau in Berlin, Germany.
Quite honestly, we weren’t sure what to expect. Big names like Aurora have already stood on this stage and yesterday’s set list presented itself similarly promising. Not only did it include three artists from three different countries but also one big superstar: Danish pop singer Christopher, who amassed 750 million streams so far, managed to squeeze in a performance in the midst of his busy schedule. Upcoming talents Hildur (from Iceland) and Jimi Somewhere (from Denmark) rounded up the program palette.
When we first entered the building, we were pleasantly surprised. The venue was located right by the river, with a small terrace that overlooked the skyline of Berlin. It also offered an intimate room where only about one hundred people fit in. The place was perfect to get to know some music for the first time!
Generally, it was a night filled with ‘firsts’. Not only for us but also for the artists themselves: first time playing outside of the home country, first time playing in Germany, first time playing in Berlin. We could go on and on, really. Most importantly though, it was a night that either gave us an exclusive first look at some brand new talents from the cold North or – in case you already knew some of them- at their upcoming songs.
The show itself started at 20:30 with Norwegian artist Jimi Somewhere. Every performer had thirty minutes to showcase his talent and 20-year old Jimi certainly made the most out of it. Still quite new to the music scene, he didn’t let anyone catch on to that fact. Jimi was absolutely comfortable in his element, even though he performed for the first time outside of his home country. Backed up by his producer Milo Orchis on the DJ pult, he gave the audience a brief glimpse into his world. From talking about the way the two guys record their own songs in their small apartment, to dancing on the stage as if no one’s watching: Jimi truly managed to capture everyone’s attention. His youthful innocence, paired with his energetic performance, got everyone going right from the start.
Listen to his biggest song yet right here:
Next up was Hildur, an Icelandic singer-songwriter who might – so far- be best known for her entry at last year’s Söngvakeppnin, the Icelandic song selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest. Honestly truly, after seeing her performance, we decided that we will give it a year until everyone’s singing along to her songs on the radio. Hildur is the kind of positive personality you need in your lives. She was bouncing around on stage, smiling and singing like a happy sunshine. Even when the songs got more melancholic, she knew how to pull all eyes on her.
What truly impressed us were two things: first of all, she should have won an award for the best outfit. She truly did that (as pictured below). Second of all, Hildur is one of the rare artists that make their own songs sound even better than on a recording. Her performance gave the tracks even more charm, even more character and even more power than present on the finished product. Whether it was the insanely catchy novelty song “Bammbaramm” (“If you want to know how to speak Icelandic, just repeat those words a couple of times”), her ode to friendship “I’ll Walk With You” or the dramatic “Water”: Hildur delivered fashion, bops and an immensely fun performance in less than thirty minutes. We will truly walk with you along your way, my dear. Hats off.
Listen to “I’ll Walk With You” right here:
Last but not least, Christopher arrived. The big pop star from Denmark faced quite a new situation in Germany: while in his home country, he receives platinum certifications and fills big venues on the regular, most of the audience there had only vaguely heard of him before.
Christopher was still a newcomer in Berlin, something he hadn’t been in 6 years. He handled the situation like a pro obviously. First, he introduced himself to his audience, chatted in between songs about the lovely experiences he had in his career, and even sang into specific audience members’ cell phones so they could have a better memory of the event. His Danish fans, who came specifically for this event to Berlin, were elated that they could see their idol this close again so far into his career. The first tears even started rolling when he performed an acoustic set of his hits “Heartbeat” and “Naked”.
Except for this small acoustic interlude, everyone danced their way through a mixture of his latest tracks, his greatest hits as well as to some of his unreleased songs. At this point, we would just like to add that “Shh”, an upcoming track of his, is going to be one of his biggest bops yet. So secure your wigs. Christopher will for sure snatch them.
Listen to his latest release right here:
All in all, the Ja Ja Ja in Berlin was a fun event. We got to know some brand new music in a beautiful location and were as up, close and personal with the singers as it could get. What truly made it for us was the fact that the artists ended up becoming fans themselves. After or before their stage time, they watched the others perform, mingled with the audience, chatted, laughed and generally had a good time as well.
So in case you are ever on the hunt for a cute little event that lets you get to know something good and new, you should definitely check this one out.
Ja Ja Ja is regularly organized in London as well as in Berlin. Check out their website or visit them on Facebook for more information.
Have you been to one of the Ja Ja Ja events yet? How do you like the artists that were showcased last night? Tell us all about by either reacting down below or by taggin us @CelebMix on Twitter.