DURCHLÜFTEN 2025

A Personal Note: As a Mexican-American curator based in Germany, I am deeply committed to fostering inclusivity in the arts. Since 2021, DURCHLÜFTEN has dedicated itself to the joy of musical discovery, uniting sounds and stories across borders while celebrating the vibrant multiplicity around us. My goal is always to build a space where artists and guests feel a true sense of connection, each contributing their own stories to the festival’s communal table. Equally important to me is maintaining DURCHLÜFTEN’s commitment to accessibility: offering a space where culture has a low threshold to participate and that is welcoming for all. In these uncertain times, it is essential to find

ways to collectively heal and imagine the world we want to live in. Listening and sharing space is, in my view, the first step toward that healing.

I am incredibly honored to curate this year’s program and bring together so many extraordinary storytellers from both local and global stages. This month-long journey celebrates music in all its forms – twelve summer evenings filled with listening, connecting, smiling, and, of course, dancing. We’ve curated something special for every music lover and crate digger, so bring your friends and family, and let’s plant new seeds of connection and joy. I can’t wait to celebrate with all of you! —”

Melissa Perales, Curator of DURCHLÜFTEN

We are also thrilled to present Jeano Elong & Not OK Jazz, a singer from Cameroon who now calls Hamburg home. After a life-altering journey from Cameroon to Libya, and his involvement in the Lampedusa protest in Hamburg, Jeano’s music brings a powerful message of unity and peace. His debut solo album Mkoum sings of brotherhood and solidarity in his native Bakaka language.

The opening act of this year’s festival features Minyo Crusaders, a Tokyo-based, ten-piece band that blends traditional Japanese folk songs with Colombian cumbia rhythms. Their collaboration with Frente Cumbiero fuses ancient sounds from Japan and Colombia, creating an unforgettable musical experience.

Other exciting acts include the multi-instrumentalist Charif Megarbane (Lebanon), who blends soul, funk, Afrobeats, and vintage Italian film scores into a hypnotic mix, and the Amsterdam-based duo Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti and Frank Rosaly, who explore their ancestral roots through a collision of Latin American folk, avant-jazz, and punk.

We’ll also hear from Etran de L’Aïr, a Saharan rock band hailing from Agadez, the capital city of desert guitar music, who have been captivating audiences with their hypnotic desert melodies for over 25 years.

Finally, don’t miss Logan February, a Berlin-based Nigerian poet and performer, whose multidisciplinary work explores Afro-queer diasporic identity and Yoruba mythology. Plus, the band Mourning [A] BLKstar, a multi-generational, gender-non-conforming group that brings forth powerful stories and songs from America’s unfolding apocalypse.

And closing the festival, we welcome Son Rompe Pera, a Mexico City-based band that pushes the boundaries of the traditional Mexican marimba. Combining punk and psychobilly influences with their folk roots, they have redefined what it means to play the marimba in a modern context, creating a unique and exciting sound.

These are just a few of the incredible artists we will bring to the stage this summer. Together, they’ll weave a beautiful tapestry of culture, music, and spirit, so don’t miss out on this unforgettable celebration of sound.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you! have a listen: 

Durchlüften 2025 Soundtrack