ArtistInfo

Brothers Keepers

Band, DE
Hip-Hop/Rap

Brothers Keepers is a German-based transnational anti-racism project, bringing together hip-hop, reggae and soul musicians, headed primarily by Afro-Germans. The idea for the project took root in the late 1990s, and when a German of Mozambiquan origin, named Alberto Adriano, was brutally killed by neo-Nazis in Dessau (East Germany) in 2000, a group of musicians decided to organize and fight back. Brothers Keepers has local groups active in information campaigns, presenting teach-ins at schools etc. However the project primarily gained prominence in Germany through the collaborative album, Lightkultur. The title is a pun on conservative politician Günther Beckstein’s term "deutsche Leitkultur" ("German leading culture"), demanding that foreigners subject themselves to the supposed standards of German culture. The album features German musicians such as Torch, Samy Deluxe, Afrob, Denyo from the Beginner and D-Flame. The proceeds of this album went to charity. The project is not limited to Germany. It focuses on manifestations of the African diaspora throughout the world and is supported by international artists such as Jamaican reggae musician Ziggy Marley and Senegalese mbalax musician Youssou N'Dour. There is also a UK Brothers Keepers, which, while lacking the organizational superstructure of its German counterpart, contributed a track to Lightkultur. There is also a female version of this Movement/Band called the Sisters Keepers.

Members

	Jah Meek voc, bvoc *1971 JM
	Xavier Naidoo voc *1971 DE
	Joachim Deutschland g, voc *1980 DE
	Robert Zemichiel *1977
	Samy Sorge p
	Patrice Bart-Williams
	Akanni key, voc
	Mariama voc DE
	Frank Dellé voc, bvoc *1970 DE
	René Swain *1969 DE
	Chima Onyele
	Tyron Ricketts *1973 AT
	Hashim Elobied
	Daniel Kretschmer
	Onosizo Ngcala p *1974 DE
	Nitro
	Ade Odukoya voc
	Rolando McLean
	Tilmann Otto *1975 DE
	Herbert Schwamborn *1973
	Abiodun Odukoya
	Frederik Hahn
	Christian Kindt
	Blaise Aundu Munguba
	Malik Diop DE
	Ahmed Sékou Neblett voc