Name: Africa & Europe - Two Continents and Their Music
Start: 2026-05-16T18:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-16T19:00:00+02:00
Location: Ev. Kirchengemeinde Walsum Aldenrade | Zentrum Schulstraße

A Sound Space Between Continents: Africa & Europe in Duisburg

On May 16, 2026, two musical worlds converge in Duisburg, speaking with each other rather than against each other in the concert. With Hans-Joachim Heßler and Birdy Steppuhn, a live experience is created in the Evangelical Church Community Walsum Aldenrade that transforms organ, piano, and drums into a vibrant musical narrative.

When Organ and Percussion Find the Same Language

The idea of this evening thrives on contrasts that suddenly come together to form a great whole. Heßler brings his long experience from contemporary music, improvisation, and jazz as a composer, pianist, and organist. Steppuhn complements this with a percussion performance that infuses rhythmical depth and physical presence into the space. This creates a sound architecture where European church music meets African-inspired tonal colors.

Flamenco as a Bridge Between Tradition and Movement

Particularly intriguing is the conceptual arc that the program spans over Flamenco. The musical dialogue picks up the chorale O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden and leads it into a mode that binds passion, pain, and ecstasy together. The result is not a museum-like concert, but a vibrant evening full of musical transformations, where a theme travels through centuries and continuously reinvents itself.

An Evening with Artistic Depth and Direct Presence

Hans-Joachim Heßler has been active since the 1980s between free improvisation, jazz, and composition, possessing a vast oeuvre of orchestral works, chamber music, literary adaptations, and theater music. Birdy Steppuhn has shaped the Duisburg scene for decades as a drummer, percussionist, and initiator of his own jazz projects. Together, they bring experience, precision, and a spirit of experimentation to the stage – a collaboration that is particularly intense in the church space.

The Venue Creates Intimacy and Atmosphere

The community center at Schulstraße 2 in Duisburg-Walsum provides the appropriate setting for this concert. The spatial proximity to the music, the sacred acoustics, and the concentrated live atmosphere amplify the impression of this special concert experience. Here, every strike, every breath, and every resonance counts.

Conclusion: A Concert for Open Ears and Strong Emotions

Africa & Europe - Two Continents and Their Music promises an evening between spiritual sound tradition, improvisational freedom, and rhythmic energy. Those who want to experience music not just as sound but as an encounter should secure this date live.