Rap star Central Cee, slowthai and legend Suzanne Vega will perform at Pohoda 2023
Even more music stars and legends will perform in Slovakia this year. The organizers of Pohoda Festival introduced nine more international artists who will perform at Trenčín Airport on 6 – 8 July 2023. Festival visitors can look forward to representatives of the global rap scene such as Central Cee, slowthai or Shygirl, as well as singers Suzanne Vega and Perfume Genius, Arooj Aftab, Mandidextrous, Amor Elefante and O.. The line-up released so far will also include representatives of drum & bass, indie-rock, jazz, and world music.
07. February 2023
Central Cee, a contemporary rap star whose drill has conquered not only his home country of Britain, but the entire world is coming to Pohoda. This young talent from London is currently one of the most streamed and well-known rappers in the world. He is the first British rapper to reach one billion streams on Spotify and also one of the most streamed artists in Slovakia.
His debut mixtape Wild West (2021) went straight to #2 on the UK album charts, and his second mixtape 23 from last year took him to #1. The success of his second album was confirmed by nominations for the Brit Awards in the Artist of the Year and Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act categories, which will be awarded this Saturday.
"The confirmation of Central Cee is an extraordinary event for Pohoda. One of the most popular rappers in the world at the moment will perform on the main stage on Saturday. After the great experience with Skepta, whose concert is still remembered by many, it will be another fantastic experience with the most current stuff that can be heard on the hip-hop scene. We expect another turning point for our festival," says festival director Michal Kaščák about the booking of this world-famous rapper.
Other confirmed big names include world-famous folk legend Suzanne Vega (US). Almost everyone knows her world hits Luka and Tom's Diner, the latter also from the numerous remixes and covers. Suzanne Vega even collected the best cover versions and released them on a separate album called Tom's Album. Tom's Diner was also used in the song Summer In New York by SOFI TUKKER, whose participation at Pohoda 2023 was confirmed by the festival organizers in December.
In the early 1980s, Suzanne emerged as a leading figure in the revival of the folk scene. Since the release of her critically acclaimed debut album in 1985, she has been regularly performing at sold-out concerts all over the world. Her songs are distinctive thanks to her extraordinary voice and bear the stamp of a master storyteller who observes the world with her "poetic eye".
The organizers of Pohoda have also announced another singer who will perform at Trenčín Airport in July – Perfume Genius (US), one of the most talented songwriters of the last decades with a distinctive voice and lyrics with a strong mission. As a queer person, he has been through a lot of hell in his life, which has affected his musical direction and the message of his lyrics.
Rapper slowthai will perform in Trenčín again after a year. It is rare that Pohoda organizers call the same artist to the airport twice in a row. Michal Kaščák explains the re-booking, "slowthai's concert was definitely one of the highlights of last year's Pohoda. When we heard that he was planning to play with the band, we didn't hesitate for a moment and tried to book him for this year as well. slowthai will therefore perform on the main stage on Thursday evening. We are already looking forward to his amazingly wild concert." This March, he will release his third album, UGLY (short for "U Gotta Love Yourself"). From what slowthai has said, it sounds like fans have a lot to look forward to and that this will be his most personal album yet, with the new singles suggesting that he is aiming for a more guitar-driven sound.
Pohoda 2023 will feature female rap with 30-year-old British artist Shygirl. Her name made a splash in the music scene back in 2018 when she released her debut EP. Last year she released her debut album Nymph, which received excellent reviews from critics and fans. Pitchfork Magazine included her debut in their “Best Progressive Pop of 2022” list.
Festival-goers will also be introduced to another Grammy Award-winning artist, Arooj Aftab. She is the first Pakistani winner of the award, which she won in Best Global Music Performance category. This year she was nominated for the award again for her collaboration with Anoushka Shankar and she even performed at the Grammy Award. Arooj Aftab combines jazz, minimalism, and neo-Sufi in her work.
Electronic music lovers can look forward to the latest addition to Pohoda 2023 artist list. Mandidextrous, the pioneer and queen of the jungletek style (a mix of drum & bass, jungle and techno), will come to make them dance. This British artist not only crosses boundaries in music, but also in personal life – they openly talk and educate about their transition. They will perform a joint DJ set with Matia Lenicka ( B-Complex ).
Pohoda 2023 will also feature indie pop thanks to the new names. We will welcome the Argentinian band Amor Elefante, which mixes pop melodies with catchy guitar riffs. The influence of Brazilian music gives this mixture its distinctive charm.
The last of the new names announced by Pohoda organizers is the London duo O. It consists of baritone-saxophonist Joseph Henwood and drummer Tash Keary. The duo started creating during the pandemic lockdown and it only took one live performance for them to be invited by black midi to open for them on their tour. They are also the first band that Pohoda organizers have arranged directly at the Eurosonic showcase festival in Groningen, the Netherlands, earlier this year.
These nine international artists join the previously announced artists such as Jamie xx, current two-time Grammy winners Wet Leg, SOFI TUKKER, Viagra Boys, AMELIE LENS, Sampa the Great, Genesis Owusu, Dry Cleaning, shame, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Liniker, Yard Act, Alina Pash, PVA, and others. Pohoda Festival organizers added that more international and local names will be revealed in the coming days.