Successful "Floating Bars" event series enters its sixth round
The cathedral city is famous for its regional music scene and its traditions. However, the fact that both go far beyond Cologne music or carnival is probably less well known. As the hip-hop event series "Floating Bars" organized by KölnTourist Personenschiffahrt will take place for the sixth time this year, it can rightly be described as a new tradition in Cologne, with young musicians from the region presenting their very own sound to an enthusiastic audience. On 25.08.2024, Omar Jatta, the duo Luzid & Helio, Money 42 and Jioni, among others, will perform live on board the MS RheinLand.
Phily Van, co-initiator of "Floating Bars" and also back on stage as a live performer, is delighted with the rapid development of the event format. "When we planned the first show in summer 2021, it was actually just a crazy idea," the rapper recalls. Angelika Schmitz, Managing Director of KölnTourist, adds: "Phily and I have known each other for years and are good friends. His performances and lyrics are really great and I wanted to give him the opportunity to present his music to an audience on one of our ships. The great side effect: there had never been a hip-hop ship tour before, so we just wanted to try it out." After the premiere in October 2021 on the fully booked MS RheinPerle, the event developed a kind of life of its own and became bigger, so that the second event took place on the larger MS RheinLand. "Word of the concept spread quickly in the scene," explains Phily Van. "Both young up-and-coming talent and established artists performed on the floating stage. Hybris, Toji, GoiKaiser, Habesha and Yisaac have already been there."
Top-class line-up
Some artists have been guests at "Floating Bars" several times. One of the "repeat offenders" this year is Jioni from Cologne. He scored his first successes as a freestyle rapper at the well-known RapAmMittwoch format and shortly afterwards by winning the German runner-up title at Out4frame 2017. He has already toured as a support act for Kool Savas, Chefket and the Orsons and has also played solo concerts at Hard Rock Café Cologne and Kulturraum 405 during c/o Pop in Cologne.
Omar Jatta from Solingen, who has been based in Cologne for around two years, is also no stranger to the scene: He opened the Green Stage at the Summerjam Festival in Cologne on 05.07.2024 and was named Upcoming Act of the Year 2023 by the label TuneCore. He inspires his audience with a mixture of Afro beats and Amapiano and in his lyrics he addresses aspects of his life as an Afro-German, conveying thoughts and experiences. With his infectious energy and positive charisma, he has been captivating audiences since the Nani collective first brought him to Cologne for a performance in 2021.
Helio & Luzid are an alternative rap duo from Bonn. The two newcomers incorporate their largely different musical socialization equally into their music: uncompromisingly honest conscious rap meets engaging atmospheric to drivingly dynamic instrumentals. In doing so, they create a sound that is unparalleled in the German hip-hop landscape.
Another act that will bring the audience on board to the boil with his energy is the rapper and "roadman with feelings" Money 42 from Berlin Tempelhof. The live concert by the artists on board will be rounded off with another after-show party, this time with DJ Tuco.
Outlook for 2025
The next edition of "Floating Bars" for next year is already in the planning phase. Fans can already mark the date 10.05.2025 in red in their calendars. "We have something really big planned for the seventh event," Angelika Schmitz hints. "There will be a well-known artist as a guest star, who is known far beyond the Cologne region, and we are really looking forward to it. But we can't reveal any more at the moment." The high demand and the fantastic response to the previous concerts ensure that this series of events will continue to establish itself and offer young artists an exciting stage on a Rhine ship. Further information can be found at www.floatingbars.de
