Dr. Martens is a brand synonymous with subculture. For more than six decades,
Dr. Martens have continued to support and influence a variety of subcultures that are shaping the contemporary landscape. Their initiative “Tough As You,” aims to support underrepresented and marginalised talent in the music industry. Among other collaborators, Dr. Martens worked with musicians Kelvyn Colt and Kyle Flamigni, who acted as mentors to emerging talent in the industry by offering guidance and support to help realise their vision.
Now, Dr. Martens are continuing their ‘Tough As You’ initiative in a collaboration with Oroko Radio and Serious Klein. Founded by Kikelomo and Nico Adomako, the Ghana based Oroko Radio aims to “connect, inspire and empower through conversation, collaboration and community” through their “global platform for Ghanaian, African and diasporic voices to be heard in their own words.” Together with German-Ghanaian rapper Serious Klein, Oroko Radio hosted a series of broadcasting workshops live from a temporary radio station in Berlin’s Dr. Martens store to instigate a creative and cultural exchange between the next generation of artists; from aspiring presenters to young musicians, producers and DJs.
SLEEK speaks to Serious Klein and founder of Oroko Radio Kikelomo about their collaboration with Dr. Martens, the importance of community, and the energy of the next generation of artists.
SLEEK: How did the collaboration between you [Serious Klein] and Oroko Radio begin?
Serious Klein: I’ve known Nico Adomako, one of Oroko’s co-founders for a while now. He was part of the Boiler Room that I hosted for my album release. Once I saw Oroko and the vision behind the collective, I knew I wanted to collaborate.
S: How did Dr. Martens fit into this? What is it about their ‘Tough As You’ initiative that makes this programme unique?
SK: Oroko tries to uplift young creatives especially in Africa. From my perspective, the
Dr. Martens Tough As You initative and Oroko’s vision go hand in hand. Both of them strive for the visibility of talents, breakimg the boundaries that have been there for too long.
S: Why is it so important to provide a space for intercultural initiatives like ‘Tough As You’?
Kikelomo Oludemi: In the past 20 years we’ve seen the world get even more closely connected, showing just how many similarities we share across our global communities. Initiatives like the program we put together are important as 1) it provides an opportunity to break down outdated (and sometimes xenophobic) stereotypes that people have about different cultures, particularly those about the continent of Africa. It also provides an opportunity to build connections, exchange perspectives and learn from each other. Particularly in the music industry, where the global influence of markets such as Africa, Latin America and Asia are evident in the charts, it’s important to have not only an accurate understanding of these cultures but also a meaningful connection.
SK: Cultural interaction brings knowledge in form of new perspectives. And there’s nothing more refreshing than that.
S: Why is music in particular such a powerful tool to connect people and cultures across borders?
SK: Music speaks to the soul and can be very comforting. Just think of any situation you may find yourself in, and you will most likely find a song that fits right into it.
KO: Music has this intrinsic ability to bring people together – some of the earliest tools discovered by the ancestors humankind evolved from were musical instruments. Studies have shown how our connection to music is hardcoded on a neurological level, and just taking a look at music culture today, you can see how it has this unique ability to transcend borders, language and community. Music has been used to start movements, revolutions, political policy, validate identity and also as a vessel for expression.
Images Courtesy of Dr. Martens.
S: At SLEEK, we are continuously exploring and are involved in the idea of community. We see it as an important vessel through which important creative and cultural exchanges can occur. What role does community play in what you do?
KO: Community is also at the root of humankind – we are social creatures, and naturally have a desire to connect with one another. Community forms the very foundation of what we do – without community, Oroko would not exist and could not exist. We were inspired by our community to start the station, and we are continually empowered by our community to keep growing the platform, providing even more opportunities for everyone to learn and grow.
S: What is the importance of intercultural communication within the music industry?
SK: Intercultural communication is a vital point in any form of art. It sparks creativity and thinking processes.
S: Serious Klein, you acted as a mentor in the workshops with Oroko Radio, alongside other industry professionals such as Peggy Adamu (Senior Content Strategist at Sony Germany) and Rvdival The Kid (Award-winning music producer). What did you learn from this experience?
SK: It was great getting insight into the perspective of other creatives in the industry and very interesting to see how many people were open to my experiences and what I had to share.
S: Do you feel inspired by the new generation of artists?
KO: The music coming out right now from the new generation of artists is incredibly inspiring. With social media enabling people to connect directly to their audiences, it feels like artists are finding the strength to represent themselves even more authentically. Labels are losing their monopoly over sound, artistry and narrative, and this is allowing even more evolutions to take place – it’s an exciting time to be an artist (although also challenging!)
SK: It’s amazing to see the new generation being a lot more fearless and courageous when putting out their work. I’m definitely inspired by their work ethic.
S: Serious Klein, how are you influenced by your Ghanian background in your music and creative process?
SK: My Ghanaian background is an important part of my foundation as a musician. Experiences that were shaped through my culture, upbringing and surroundings still play a vital part in my thinking process when I am creating music and visuals.
S: What are the differences in finding connection through radio vs something like social media?
KO: Radio plays a key role in music innovation – for example grime, garage, drill and many more music genres would not exist without it. They provide space to connect with others from the community (local and global), physically, virtually and sonically. While both social media and independent radio have the power to level the playing field for upcoming artists (major labels hold most of the power in Africa – it’s harder for independent artists to break through. Radio is a way to work around that) – radio can provide a sense of identity and connection through its curation.
S: How do you interact with your audience – both on radio and during your streamed workshop?
KO: We interact with our communities on radio through many different ways – using our social media platforms (primarily Instagram, Facebook and Twitter), as well as through our more tailored forums like our community Discord server and our newsletters. In all our workshops, we provide space and opportunity for questions, learning, exchange and more.
SK: Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming projects?
SK: I’m currently working on multiple things at the same time. There is a body of art in the works, that I can’t wait to share. But I’m not trying to rush the process because I still believe in quality when it comes to my art and what I want to bring to the people. All I can say for now is that they’re going to be worth the wait and I’m bringing no less than a 100% to the table. So stay tuned.
KO: We’ve got a few festival appearances lined up in Uganda and Kenya, as well as a Boiler Room stream in Ghana on 30th September. We hope to scale our DJ and music production workshop programming if we can secure the right funding, as well as more opportunities for international exchange, hopefully IRL!