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Bringing Electronic Raves to Remote African Tribes: An Interview with The IVE Experience

Electronic musician and DJ, IVE has crafted the first installment of his new Ive Experience – a compelling and intentional concert experience that brings electronic music to remote African tribes for the first time in history.

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Electronic musician and DJ, IVE has crafted the first installment of his new Ive Experience – a compelling and intentional concert experience that brings electronic music to remote African tribes for the first time in history.

In the first visual installment, the IVE Experience visits the remote Himba tribe in Namibia and introduces them to the wonders of electronic music. Originally a nomadic tribe of hunter-gatherers, the Himbas are now almost all settled in villages. Maintaining their ancestral way of life through elements like traditional clothing (both men and women remain bare-chested with only simple leather loincloths tied around the waist), hairstyles, ancient beauty rituals, and their way of home-making brings a stark contrast to the modern-day sights and sounds of an electronic DJ rave.

However, it’s powerful to witness the striking similarities between two worlds that are seemingly so different. In the vein of Cercle Music, the IVE Experience aims to build bridges between cultures through music and allow the world to better understand the powerful connection that music brings between cultures and people that seem to be so different from one another. We sat down with IVE to discuss his experience in detail and learn what is next for the emerging artist.

What sparked the idea for the IVE Experience?

DJ IVE: “The idea materialized during the lockdown, a time when any other human being was a threat. It was one of the only places on earth where one could travel in time.”

What made you choose the Himba tribe for this experience?

“During this period of total idleness, I watched daily documentaries about the indigenous tribes. And the Himbas were among the most inspiring, although they were all.”

What was the experience like for you as the artist, introducing your music to these people?

“They are the first people to listen to my music, and my music is the first music they have ever listened to. I will let you guess the feeling…. Imagine introducing electronic music to someone who has never even owned a radio… someone who spends all their time living in harmony with nature and has never allowed technology to influence their life. As a tribe that spends a lot of their time singing and dancing, we were amazed, but not surprised, to watch them fall in love with our modern music.”

Ive Experience

What was the response from the Himba tribe like? How was their initial reaction?

“I noticed a greater commitment from the younger ones, who were already on the dance floor at the Sound Check. The older ones, rather doubtful, perplexed, from afar, finally joined the speakers gradually, after they realized that it was exactly what they are used to do every day, dance in joy.”

What kinds of feedback have you heard from fans who have watched the video/short film?

“That this is clearly the craziest video they have ever seen. And beyond fun, a feeling of pure joy after watching the 17 minutes.”

Logistically, how difficult was this project to pull off? How did you do it?

“It was probably the most complicated part, we went through a lot of ups and downs (only downs…). But we met the right people at the right time as if life wanted it to happen…”

Ive Experience

Have you had communication with the tribe since? If so, how have they used this experienced or how has it changed them?

“Once, from our guide who went there again with a Chinese tourist couple. He told me that they were happy to see him because they thought that we were back for another party that night again!”

What do you hope people learn from watching this video?

“Mixing entertainment and culture… Learning while enjoying. To be aware of the existence of these populations living in numerous regions of the earth. Not to have this feeling of disinterest by diminishing them. To know that they are proud people, and rich… much richer than we think. Also open to discovery, proving to us that they can dance better than most Europeans!”

What do you have planned for the next IVE Experience?

“To continue to these experiences LIVE and to receIVE the love of the people with whom we share it…. and to gIVE it back to the lucky youtube viewer.”

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