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Creatives from across the kingdom will be coming together to celebrate art and music in a fun festival-like atmosphere next month.
The BUMM Tiger Roar Collective edition, which will be held on February 25 from 6pm to 2am in Juffair, will feature nine local DJs and producers, two dance performances, two fire shows and three live graffiti and art features, along with laser and projector mapping shows, for all to enjoy.
“Our aim is to provide the freshest locally based talents with opportunities and a stage to ‘roar’,” said Ekaterina Sokolova, the 32-year-old Russian co-founder of the Bahrain Underground Music Movement (BUMM), living in Amwaj Islands.
“It is a one of a kind community that promotes Bahrain musically and brings like-minded musicians together under one roof and this event will feature unexpected collaborations between artists, musicians, dancers and creative technologists.”
The event will also feature ‘Stereo Express’, one of the top 10 techno DJs and producers in the world from Germany, as an international headline act.
“Also during the event, a concept will be given to artists to create their own unique art pieces live, while DJs and musicians play electronic music,” added Ekaterina, known to her fans as DJ Katrin Love. “Our music on the night is strictly house and techno.”
Artists that will be putting their spray-painting and brush stroke skills to the test include Bahrain-based French graffiti experts Marylou Hebert and Arnaud Rothfuss along with multi-disciplinary muralist Çağla Akpınar, originally from Ankara, Turkey.
The BUMM concept was created by DJ Mysterioo Arif and Ekaterina as a platform to give other local music producers and DJs opportunities to showcase their music, distribute and help them to be internationally recognised and discovered.
“We have brought attention to many people resulting in local talents getting recognised in the music scene,” added Ekaterina, who has performed in festivals around the world including the UAE, Morocco, Switzerland, France, Spain, Armenia, Cyprus, India, Egypt, Oman, Belarus, Greece, Monaco, Ukraine, Finland and more. She had visited Bahrain in 2009 as part of her Middle East tour and fell in love with the kingdom. In 2010, she moved to Bahrain with a one-year DJ residency contract.
“Here I am, 12 years later in this small magical island I call home,” said Ekaterina. “Currently, I am working with PlayList Entertainment Bahrain that schedules my shows weekly at different five-star hotels, restaurants and lounges within the GCC, but mostly here at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay and the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain.”
She also has an extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, called Yellow in collaboration with DJ Mysterioo on Meliodika Records based in Rome. In March, they will also release two tracks on Ukraine-based label Oxytech Records.
She is also working with Fida Photography, a videographer from Jaan Click Media for a weekly video vlog show called Tips with Love, which will be available online after Ramadan 2022.
“I believe my vlog videos will help local hoteliers, event managers and fellow DJs and musicians to make better decisions in planning entertainment,” she said.
“As for BUMM, we are bringing back monthly events by the end of February after two years of the Covid-19 break.”
