Cameron Cook is an American writer and culture critic based in Berlin, Germany. His interests include '90s pop music and watching cooking videos on YouTube. Recently, he has written for Pitchfork, CRACK, FLAUNT and Huck Magazine.

Cameron Cook

 is carrying on a proud tradition of cultural anarchy and music activism for punks of colour.

Punk and anti-racism have always gone hand-in-hand. Take, for example, Rock Against Racism and Love Music Hate Racism in the 70s and 80s. London’s Decolonise Fest carries on this tradition, and is a 100 percent volunteer-run, non-profit, and DIY platform for artists who may be overlooked by mainstream music festivals. “White allies are welcome but remember, this event will focus on people of colour,” reads their manifesto. The dedication to loudly claiming their rightful places in the thick of the proverbial mosh pit is the foundation that the festival builds its platform upon.

While Decolonise definitely has its roots in punk, they’ve also recently hosted acts like the experimental electronic artist Loraine James. But just as mind-expanding as the musical offerings is Decolonise’s wide array of panels and workshops meant to support their anti-racist ethos. A writing workshop called 

Germfree Adolescents: The Legacy of Poly Styrene

 have been programmed at past festivals, and for those who are used to a DIY scene, the feeling of mutual support and camaraderie is palpable in the air; at the end of the day, it’s about so much more than just the music. It’s not called Decolonise Fest for nothing: the festival is about reclamation as much as it is about the future of Black and Brown punk music, recontextualising the scene one stage-dive at a time.

United Kingdom

London

Decolonise Fest 

Carnival means a lot of things to a lot of people, but in Trinidad and Tobago, it’s not just a mere street party – it’s a way of life.

Historically, this is the first “modern” carnival, starting in the 18th century when enslaved people began their own (and let’s face it, probably way better) festivities when shut out of the masquerade balls that French plantation owners would throw to celebrate the end of Lent. Nowadays, Carnival is the period where the sister islands party well into the morning hours at fetes, which range from street parties to sound systems to ticketed concerts of both local and international artists. Soca and calypso – genres that also have their roots in indigenous Trinidadian culture – are Carnival mainstays, as well as stick fighting and stilt walking.

Officially, Carnival always takes place on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (16 and 17 February of this year) but the revelry can start days or even weeks in advance. People don extremely colourful costumes resplendent with feathers, beads, glitter and sequins, and act out tales of Afro-Caribbean folklore while the traditional Parade of the Bands (a band being a group of masqueraders following a specific theme) travels around the entire capital city of Port of Spain. In the days following the festival, it’s become an increasingly popular tradition to decamp to Tobago for a few days, the (relatively) more relaxed neighbouring island, to detox and decompress while the streets of Port of Spain are brought back to working order after the incredible chaos of the yearly blowout.

Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago runs from 16-17 February 2023.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival 

 honours the Black roots of electronic music, whilst showcasing the diversity and range of Black creativity today.

Chosen for: Preserving Culture and Driving Diversity.

Any genre of electronic music should be appreciated alongside the recognition of its Black roots: from techno to house to EDM, virtually every dancefloor and club night on Earth owes a debt to Black culture. Started by Discwoman co-founder Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson, Dweller Festival began in February 2019 as six days of events at Brooklyn’s legendary 

, intended to shine a light on both the history and the current wave of Black electronic music by showcasing acts that are often overlooked for festival line-ups in comparison to their white counterparts. In the intervening years, Dweller has established itself as not just a champion of these artists, but as being at the forefront of a veritable movement of equity within the electronic scene.

In keeping with that spirit of equity, many of Dweller’s shows are free and ticketed events within the festival are sold individually. Since the festival is still so young, its format remains modular (the 2021 programme was a one-off summer event) with the 2022 edition taking on the theme of intergenerational connections in Black electronic music. The events themselves – packed warehouses full of sweaty bodies, dancing to some of the most innovative DJs currently around – are more than your typical club fare; it’s a true celebration and appreciation of what it means to be Black and delves into the community’s musical past, present and future.

While acts for the 2023 festival are yet to be announced, past editions have included the likes of DJ Swisha, LSDXOXO, BEARCAT, Shyboi, TYGAPAW and Julianna Huxtable, so trust that this year will again see Dweller stake its place as one of the most influential, and vital, platforms in electronic music.

Dweller Festival takes place in New York City on 22-26 February 2023.

United States

New York City 

Dweller Festival

 is a new social enterprise celebrating, and elevating, Black professionals in the music industry across the creative and administrative fields.

Throughout 2022, the organisers behind Black Music Summit sowed the seeds of the concept through meet-ups and smaller networking events, which culminated with a two-day music festival at Pikes Hotel and Hï nightclub in 

. There, they announced their plans for a wide-ranging, multi-day summit on the island in the summer. While the teaser event has already boasted some key figures within London’s music industry – Lava La Rue, the No Signal crew – the full summit in 2023 promises to bring together more talent from various music scenes.

The decision to hold BMS in Ibiza was not a coincidence, nor just an excuse to party in the sun. When BMS founders Jordan Hallpike and Kenny Eshinlokun conceived of the idea, they wanted to have a presence in spaces where Black music industry professionals are often underrepresented – and where else to begin than Ibiza, which holds a long history as a thriving party destination? For its debut edition, the summit will not only take place in an enticing locale, but will give Black artists the chance to take the stage in an environment where they should already have a seat at the table. Discussion panels, workshops and keynote speakers will supplement the performance aspect of the festival, making it a must-attend for any and all members of the Black music industry.

Black Music Summit is launching its inaugural edition in summer 2023 from 13th - 16th September 2023 in Santa Eulalia, Ibiza

Spain

Ibiza

Black Music Summit

Every Memorial Day weekend, thousands of ravers make the pilgrimage to 

 – the birthplace of techno – to attend 

. The event is one of the longest-running electronic music festivals in the world.

Located at Hart Plaza, the city’s scenic riverfront venue, Movement has hosted hundreds of pioneers, from Moodymann to Detroit legends like Carl Craig and Jeff Mills.

As real heads know, techno is not a monolith – and neither is Movement. The breadth of genre within the line-up is inspiring, with six stages dedicated to all facets of the techno scene. Whether it be the Stargate Stage – which is set up like an inner city block party – the Detroit Stage, which only showcases local acts, or the Underground Stage, which mimics a dank and sweaty warehouse vibe, the producers of Movement have given each platform its own personality.

Movement has taken place at Hart Plaza in some shape or form since 2000, and an entire ecosystem of Memorial Day weekend parties has blossomed in its wake. If you’re in town for Movement, the party doesn’t stop when the festival gates close – if anything, it’s just begun. Take your pick of official or unofficial afterparties, most of which go on well into the following day. For the 2022 edition, Carl Craig DJ’d the Spot Lite until 6am, while the Detroit stalwart OK, Cool party went on at TV Lounge until noon. Detroit is a city with a more than illustrious music culture, and for the past 20 years, Movement has anchored itself firmly in that history.

Movement Festival runs from 27-29 May at Hart Plaza, Detroit.

Detroit

Movement Festival

has grown from a one-day showcase of local street art talent to an international celebration of multimedia and multi-disciplinary art that has spawned similar festivals across the African continent.

Started in 2011, the festival has spread from the colourful, open-air art gallery in Accra’s historical Jonestown neighbourhood to established institutions like the Nubuke Foundation and the Museum of Science and Technology. Movie screenings, photography exhibitions, immersive installations, mural art, design labs, musical performances and panel discussions are just a smattering of activities in the festival’s jam-packed programme.

Each edition of the festival has a bespoke theme, one that brings into focus not only the eclectic nature of the festival itself, but the history of Ghanaian culture and more broadly, of the African diaspora. 2013’s theme was “Re-Imagining Africa Folklore” whereas 2015’s “African Electronics” saw the festival explore the way technology continues to revolutionise African life. Taking even more cues from Afro-futurism, the festival’s last edition took on the title “Stargate to Africa”, which asked the audience to recontextualise African supernaturalism and ritualistic beliefs within modern political systems. For a part of the world that is sometimes underrepresented in modern art, the Chale Wote Street Art Festival is clearly miles ahead of the curve when it comes to pushing these concepts into the 2020s and beyond.

Chale Wote Street Art Festival runs from 12-21 August 2023 at the James Town district in Accra.