Survival Kit: A Musicscape of West-Africa (1970s–1980s)

Mixtape by fluctuating images, as part of the exhibition “Survival Kit: Monochrome of Negritude or the Introduction to the Modernists” by Ken Aïcha Sy at ifa Gallery Stuttgart, 2025/2026.

When Ken Aïcha Sy invited us to participate in her exhibition, “Survival Kit”, we immediately thought of creating a mixtape to accompany the Senegalese paintings from the post-independence decades – and provide a soundtrack to the exhibition.
We were intrigued by the emergence of a new sound in the 1960s, connected to Senegal’s independence. Its softness and slow rhythms were a far cry from the lively, fast-paced sound Senegalese music is generally known for. This new sound was not as percussion-dominated as mbalax would become later on; it was Latin-infused and mixed with reggae and pop. It also contains elements of traditional African music, resulting in an electrified, pop-infused African modernity with spiritual depth. This music was also transnational, connected to other musical developments in neighboring coastal countries. In our mixtape, we trace the music from Senegal to Angola, creating a special musicscape of West Africa from the 1970s to the 1980s.

This special musicscape will be released on October 31, 2025 at the exhibition opening and presented and discussed at the mixtape release event on November 1, 2025 at the ifa gallery, Stuttgart.

Recording A-side: https://www.fluctuating-images.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mixtape-Survival-kit-–-Musicsscape-West-Africa-A-Side.mp3

Recording B-side: https://www.fluctuating-images.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mixtape-Survival-kit-–-Musicsscape-West-Africa-B-Side_01.mp3

More information: https://www.ifa.de/en/exhibition/survival-kit/
https://www.ifa.de/kunst/ifa-galerie-stuttgart/

Review by Dietrich Heißenbüttel, "Verstreutes Erbe Die Senegalesin Ken Aïcha Sy forscht nach der modernen Kunst ihres Landes", https://on-art.news/2025/11/19/verstreutes-erbe/