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🇩🇪 Germany /Culture & Society

Culcha Candela vows to speak out politically at Glücksgefühle festival, megaphone if necessary

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Culcha Candela will perform at the Glücksgefühle festival and plans to make a clear political statement on stage, using megaphones if necessary.
  • The band has repeatedly criticized the AfD and says its fans know it supports voting for other parties that do not seek to abolish democracy.
  • The dispute followed organizers' request that performers avoid politics, after Alphaville was first disinvited and later reinvited but chose not to attend.

Culcha Candela intends to turn up the volume at the Glücksgefühle festival. The Berlin band will keep its appearance at the Hockenheimring on Saturday, but says it will take a clear political position on stage, using megaphones if someone cuts the sound.

We have always spoken out critically about the AfD. Most fans know that we call for voting for all the other parties that do not want to abolish democracy.

· Culcha CandelaThe band explained its political stance ahead of its festival performance.

The group has repeatedly criticized the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. It says most of its fans know that the band calls for voting for any other parties that do not want to abolish democracy.

The announcement follows a dispute over political statements at the festival. Organizers had asked performers not to discuss politics during their appearances. Alphaville was initially disinvited after the request became public, then invited back following widespread media coverage. The band nevertheless stayed away, and the controversy overshadowed the festival's opening.

We were really shocked by the news about Alphaville being disinvited.

· AlphavilleThe band reacted to its initial exclusion from the festival.

Culcha Candela said it was shocked by Alphaville's exclusion. In a statement, the band argued that art and music are always political and have a duty to absorb and process social moods and tendencies. It warned against the absence of free art, culture and freedom of expression, pointing to Germany's own past.

Art and music are always political and have a duty to take in and process tendencies and moods in society.

· AlphavilleAlphaville defended political expression in music and art.

The band also called the organizers' decision "Overall, a very, very strange affair." It said performers should give people nearly two hours to forget their worries and enjoy themselves, but added that Culcha Candela stands for hits and humor as well as political conviction.

Overall, a very, very strange affair.

· Culcha CandelaThe band characterized the festival organizers' handling of the dispute.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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