Inaugural Ogene Sound Art Prize Awarded By Mendi + Keith Obadike To Berlin-Based Artist Elsa Mbala

Noted sound artists Mendi + Keith Obadike have awarded the inaugural Ogene Sound Art Prize to Elsa Mbala. The Prize, an unrestricted monetary award of $2000, is given to recognize excellence in the practice of sound artists of the African Diaspora. Mendi + Keith Obadike solicit nominations from sound artists, scholars, visual artists, and musicians to nominate artists who advance the field of sound art through:

• their innovations in directed sound and listening,
• their engagement with the cultures of the African Diaspora, and
• their expansion of the field of sound art.

This year, the nominators were writer and scholar Louis Chude-Sokei, visual artist Kevin Beasley, and interdisciplinary poet and sound artist LaTasha Diggs, as well as Mendi + Keith Obadike.

Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon and based in Berlin, Elsa Mbala is a unique voice in the world of sound art. By using technology as an empowering tool and through her own keen observations, she explores further the interconnections between race, gender, technology and spirituality. Her broad oeuvre varies from radio productions to live performances, as well as films and visual work. She has performed and exhibited in Belgium, Cameroon, Germany, Luxembourg, Senegal, and Switzerland. Samples of her work may be viewed here and here.

Said Mendi + Keith Obadike, "Sound art is a practice that is often situated between the worlds of music and visual art. The interdisciplinary nature of the work can sometimes be a challenge for conventional means of institutional support. It is our belief that artists are uniquely qualified to recognize excellence in the field. With this prize we hope to honor a diverse array of aesthetics, strategies, and concerns of sound artists in the African Diaspora.

"The ogene [pronounced "oh-GEH-neh," with a hard 'g'] is a gong from the Igbo people in Nigeria. The gong can be used to play music, to announce a messenger, to call on spirits, or to sound an alarm. The ogene reminds us that the techniques of sound art have roots in old technologies and are at play in the African Diaspora.

"For the inaugural Ogene Sound Art Prize, we have chosen Elsa Mbala from among a dazzling group of nominees. We are thrilled to highlight her sound art practice. We are inspired by her poetic investigations, by her use of field recordings to explore memory and identity, and by her attention to the voices of others in the Diaspora. Her innovative practice has energized the field of sound art. We look forward to hearing her future explorations."

Said Elsa Mbala, "I feel honored and grateful to win The Ogene Sound Art Prize 2021 as my musical journey was a personal quest in my identity. It means a lot to me that others recognize my practice and it encourages me to continue what I am doing."

Born in Yaoundé and currently based in Berlin, Elsa M'Bala aka A.M.E.T. is a sound artist who makes live podcasts as a mixture between DJ'ing and live radio shows, in which field recordings and interviews are shared live with an audience. She performed internationally at Akademie der Künste Berlin (DE); Casino Luxembourg-Forum d'art contemporain (LUX); Dak'Art Biennale (SEN); Gessnerallee Zürich (CH), among others. She made the trailer for the Berlin Biennale 10. A.M.E.T.'s musical journey, and her reflections on race, cultural background, gender and spirituality, challenge preconceptions of how someone's music should sound based on where they're from. Her practice includes the creation of graphic scores that enable her to include microtones, as often heard in non-Western music. By using technology, she amplifies her unique voice and addresses narratives of inclusion and visibility. Her work is also marked by collaborations with musicians, dancers, artists, performers and makers from different backgrounds. Since 2019, Elsa M'Bala also practices as a massage therapist.