Music and Art in Berlin daily life

Since, I have been in Berlin I have enjoyed exploring the nightlife that this city has to offer. I have visited a variety of clubs in Potsdamer Platz and Alexander Platz including: Adagio, E4, Carambar, Palm Beach Bar and Rodeo. I do have to admit that the d.j.’s here play a vast variety of music in comparison to the clubs back home. But, from observation the trend in music here is mainly electronica, techno, and pop. It is very apparent that the two genres: hip-hop and R&B are less common than back in the United States. The environments within the clubs are very similar to the ambiance presented in clubs back in the United States as you can see from the picture on the left taken at E4. The only difference I have taken note of is “American” music takes longer to reach Germany, so the songs they play at the clubs here are dated and they tend to play “old school” songs regardless of the type of music they are playing. I have also noticed that there is more of fusion with Arab and Asian music within the clubs here, which is revitalizing. I am used to hearing less of a variety presented considering I have never heard Arab and/or Indian music played at the clubs in Miami.

When asked where we could find a club that plays more hip-hop and R&B, the response was that there are not a lot of clubs that play “Black Music”. At first, I thought to myself that was very offensive to identify a race with a certain type of music. But, I was told that here in Berlin “Black Music” is what Germans refer to when referencing hip-hop and R&B. Instead, of having clubs that only play a certain type of music, the clubs here have themed nights. For example, on Tuesdays one of the clubs here has a “Black Attack” night, meaning that is their hip-hop night.

On a different note, I have not yet ventured to any museums here in Berlin yet. However, as I have treaded throughout the various points I have taken note of some of the art that is displayed throughout. Most of the art throughout Berlin is a combination of the old and new, similar to the architecture. Many of the statues emulate images that you would expect to see in Rome. Even on the buildings the figurines resemble ancient Roman sculptures. Many of the figures and statues that you find through the city are images of symbolism. For example, one of the first statues that I encountered here in Berlin was the chariot and horses above the Brandenburg Gate. This is replication of the chariot and horses that Napoleon rode in on in the 1800’s. It was seized and taken from Paris to be displayed in Berlin as a symbol of victory and freedom.

My favorite piece of art I have come upon during my visit here was at the Parliament building. On the second floor, there is a painting on display representative of the Jews that lived in Germany during the Nazi regime. The black part towards the bottom symbolizes that backbone of Jews as they faced the many tortures presented by the Nazi’s. The red depicts flames that are also representative of the religious persecution they faced as they were forced into gas chambers, concentration camps and firing squads. I found the painting to be modern yet very powerful because of the colors and story behind it.