Afro Kolektyw

PPA production: Michał Litwiniec, Beata Szczepańska

Musicians: Michał Hoffmann, Barbara Derlak, Michał Szturomski, Maciej Szczyciński, Artur Chaber, Michał Marecki

The oldest club regulars recall it well: the first decade of post-communist Poland was drawing to a close, and the three decades of Afro Kolektyw journey had only just begun. The Warsaw pioneers of organic hip-hop released their debut album in 1999, called “Negative Vibrations” (a pop-culture reference that is now only understood by listeners born in the 1970s). Their latest release to date — ominously titled “Last Word” — recently celebrated its second birthday, following a period packed with performances and interviews (since Michał “Afrojax” Hoffmann, the group’s rapper, backing vocalist, co-founder and original member, also works as a journalist for Polish Radio Programme Three).

Alongside him, today’s Afro Kolektyw includes vocalist Basia and seasoned instrumentalists: Miłosz Wośko (keyboards), Michał Szturomski (guitar), Maciek Szczyciński (bass), and Artur Chaber (drums). With a sound that still blends rap, poetry, pop, funk, and jazz — no sugar, no preservatives — the group continues to redefine Polish music, reminding audiences that Afro Kolektyw’s creative force is far from spent.

“After years of writing solo material packed with iconoclastic, exhibitionist bluntness, Afrojax decided to shift direction. Cheeky punchlines and direct satire appear less frequently and with less force here than in his other rap recordings.”
brakkultury.pl

“No one here is competing over who’s got the biggest — because there’s really nothing to brag about. What matters is the music, and there’s plenty of it.”
muzyka.interia.pl

“This is not just music, but also performance. Afrojax, like Iggy Pop, enjoys showing how nature shaped him. On the other hand, Basia Derlak may not share Hoffmann’s exhibitionist tendencies, but she is a volcano of energy on stage and complements him perfectly.”
kultura.poznan.pl

Photo. Kuba Owczarek