Hip-Hop Knowledge. Sounds and experiences from Central Asia

On October 29-30, 2026, the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek will host an international workshop entitled “Hip hop knowledge. Sounds and Experiences from Central Asia”. This workshop is a new initiative that creates dedicated spaces to share emerging knowledge rooted in popular music practices and encourages dialogue among artists, industry professionals, and researchers across geographical and professional boundaries.

Presentation

Since the early 2020s, digital music production has been booming across Central Asia, giving artists across genres (rap, EDM, pop, rock…) unprecedented national and international visibility. Driven by new monetization models, various local labels and distribution firms have emerged, and the region’s music scene is undergoing a dynamic transformation. Hip-hop, as a global phenomenon, and more broadly the “DJ culture”, have popularised new conceptions about musical composition, entrepreneurial strategies, and collective affiliations. Music makers in Central Asia effectively combine globalised and local knowledge, connect worldwide musical trends with the expression of a distinctive musical identity, and contribute to the vibrant linguistic practices in the region by creatively employing and mixing Central Asian and other languages. This workshop is a new initiative that creates dedicated spaces to share emerging knowledge rooted in popular music practices and encourages dialogue among artists, industry professionals, and researchers across geographical and professional boundaries.

Organisation

Florian Coppenrath (ZMO)
Lucia Direnberger (CNRS, IFEAC)
Karim Hammou (CNRS, Cresppa)
Merey Otan (Astana IT University)

With the support of Aishoola Aisaeva (project manager)

Programme

English-Hip-Hop-Knowledge Télécharger

Find here the Kyrgyz and the Russian versions of the programme

Partners

Memories, art, and social justice in Central Asia (MAJIC, FMSH)
American University of Central Asia (AUCA)
Centre de recherches sociologiques et politiques de Paris (CRESPPA)
Institut culturel franco-allemand de Bichkek (Goethe-Institut Kyrgyzstan, Ambassade de France au Kirghizstan)
Institut français d’études sur l’Asie centrale (IFEAC)
EC2H (Université Paris Lumières)
Université Paris 8