SoFar Sounds, a global collective known for putting on eclectic and secret concerts in cities all over the world, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the inception of the hip-hop genre. Many people feel as if they have been raised by the genre and it’s hard to imagine a time when it didn’t exist. The iconic sound — born from funk, jazz, rock, blues and traditional African music — seems so timeless but is relatively new in the long history of music. On August 11th, 1973, a back-to-school party in the Bronx became the birth of a sonic revolution when DJ Kool Herc decided to try some sounds for his sister’s back-to-school party.
READ: SoFar Sounds — So Much More Than a Secret Show
“Behind two turntables, Clive, better known as DJ Kool Herc, plays two copies of the same record, a technique known as the merry-go-round where one moves back and forth, from one record to the next, looping the percussion portions of each track to keep the beat alive.
And amongst this community of dancers, artists, musicians and poets, hip-hop was born”
-Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary Website
Sofar Sounds is introducing an ultra special edition of its Listening Room series, Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop. Established during the pandemic, Sofar’s Listening Room offers intimate live-stream performances from artists around the world.
Sofar Sounds is hosting celebratory hip hop anniversary shows in four cities, and Denver is one of them. A Tuesday night show in Five Points will feature dynamic artists who continue to elevate and evolve the genre through live performances. The exact location of the show is revealed 36 hours before the show, and the performers are not revealed until they take the stage.
Get your tickets here.