KölnTourist offers floating stage for hip-hop and urban sounds
Cologne, 28.08.2023
Cologne is much more than Kölsche Tön and carnival music. Young musicians from the Rhineland can also do things differently. A wonderful example of this are the artists who storm the floating stage on board the MS RheinLand at the "Floating Bars" event series, namely with hip-hop, R'n'B and Urbans Sounds. For the fifth time, KölnTourist Personenschiffahrt is organizing this live concert together with rapper Phily Van. Besides Phily and his crew, Habesha, Yisaac and Jioni will be there on 29.09.2023, as well as DJ Symphy for the after-show party.
"We didn't expect this series of events to become so big," says a delighted Angelika Schmitz, managing director of KölnTourist. "Yet this was actually quite a snap idea in the summer of 2021. I was enthusiastic about Philly's performances from the very beginning and therefore wanted to offer him his own stage. A hip-hop ride on the Rhine didn't exist yet. That's why we just wanted to try it out." After the premiere in October 2021 on the MS RheinPerle, further concerts with Phily Van and other young, up-and-coming artists such as Hybris, Toji, Xtienne and GoiKaiser followed in the spring and late summer of 2022 and in May 2023. These follow-up dates have already taken place on the largest ship in the KölnTourist fleet, the MS RheinLand, also due to high demand.
Phily Van is a basketball player and special education teacher. But beyond that, his love has always been music. He started rapping a few years ago, and always connects it with a message as well. "I'm all about spreading positive vibes with my music and making kids think," Phily Van explains. "I don't mind doing that with a twinkle in my eye, because humor is key." Giving young artists a platform for their own tracks became the core of the project. For the fifth concert, he'll be supported by Habesha, who's back for the second time, as well as Floating Bars newcomers Yisaac and Jioni.
Passion for music and shipping
Habesha from Düsseldorf, a rapper with Eritrean roots, has played a major role in shaping the region's hip-hop scene. As early as 2003, he was part of the BTM Squad, one of the first crews to popularize street rap with rough lyrics. In 2013 he went his own way as Haben and succeeded with tracks like "Ich lass mir von keinem etwas sagen" or his solo album "Alle wollen Haben" a convincing balancing act between catchy music and powerful hip-hop.
Yisaac, a native of Nigeria, came to Germany at the age of 8. "I discovered my passion for rap in 2007 after receiving 50 Cent's CD 'Get rich or die tryin' as a gift from my father," he recalls. Fascinated by Sido, Bushido and others, he began co-writing the song lyrics and fell in love with writing rap lyrics. He has since developed a unique sound in the process and continues to work hard to succeed in the music industry.
Jioni from Cologne recorded his first successes as a freestyle rapper in the well-known format RapAmMittwoch and shortly thereafter by winning the German runner-up championship at Out4frame 2017. He has already been on tour as a supporting act for Kool Savas, Chefket and the Orsons and has also played solo concerts at Hard Rock Café Cologne or at Kulturraum 405 on the occasion of c/o Pop in Cologne. "Through my music I have the opportunity to express myself creatively," explains the young hip-hop artist. "In doing so, personal lyrics with a real story are especially important to me." He dresses his stories of drastic changes in life, nights in the neon lights, to pensive moments in the old apartment in urban melodies with straight rap parts.
The live concert on board will be rounded off again with an after-show party, after her successful debut at Part IV again with DJ Symphy. She is known as part of the Nani?! Kollektiv, which regularly brings the audience in hip clubs like the "Club Subway" in Cologne or the Krefeld "Schlachthof" to a boil, and knows how to create an exuberant mood with raggaeton and dancehall.
By the way, the next concerts for 2024 are already being planned. Angelika Schmitz emphasizes, "I love this music and I love getting young people excited about shipping as part of this format. To combine two of my personal passions in this way is a privilege and a joy that I want to share with our guests."
KölnTourist offers boat trips and boat charters at the most important junctions on the Rhine in the Cologne/Bonn area, unforgettable and exclusive variety of experiences for a real change of perspective, plenty of deceleration and lots of good humor on one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. A personal and individual service, delicious food from selected partners and a very good price/performance ratio complete the offer.
KölnTourist is a privately run shipping company with decades of tradition and shipping expertise. The fleet is technically up to date, because the safety of the passengers is always the focus. The interior of the fleet is always well maintained. With an eye on the environment and future generations, the company embarked on a journey to greater sustainability in passenger shipping some time ago. KölnTourist sees itself as a true friend and partner to its guests and lives cosmopolitanism. The employees are authentic and love what they do - with regard to their fleet, their offers, their guests and the team.
Links to participating acts:
Phily Van: https://www.youtube.com/@philyvan2968 | https://soundcloud.com/philipp_8
Habesha: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCavWt8J0WhwHSIYKVdTRfTg
Yisaac:https://www.youtube.com/@Yisaac
Jioni: https://www.youtube.com/@jionimusic
Symphy: https://soundcloud.com/symphyy
