BIO
Magee was born in Canada and grew up between East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia) and Washington DC. Attending high school in DC, Magee won a grant to film his a political documentary on the tiny kingdom of Swaziland in Southern Africa. Successfully interviewing not only the head of the opposition parties in this small but politically fragile country, but also the King himself, later voted as among multiple publications as one of the top 20 worst dictators in the world, who has become increasingly controversial. This film was Magee's first and it set him on a path of political and cultural exploration throughout the world with film as his medium. Since then, Magee has increasingly focused his work on international politics and the use of music, particularly hip hop music, as a political tool. In college he produced a documentary entitled 'Getting' A Bad Rap: Conversations about hip hop from NYC to CT' and his senior thesis film entitled "Nyama: the Modern Manifestation of Griot Culture and Tradition in the US Through Hip Hop,' a film exploring the links of west African griot culture to modern American hip hop as we know it. In the past year, Magee co-founded Sol Productions, a non profit film production company, and, together with his two other film partners, has filmed the Presidential Elections in Venezuela, Senegal, and France. He also co-founded, together with Nomadic Wax and Trinity College, the first ever International Hip Hop Festival and Conference of its size in the US, and is currently working on a film about this groundbreaking event. Today, Magee is busy working on three political documentaries: one on President Hugo Chavez's recent re-election in Venezuela, one on hip hop's role in the recent and highly controversial Senegalese presidential elections, and one on African immigrants during the recent French presidential elections.
BIO
BIO
Mo was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up immersed in a multi-cultural extended family of great story tellers in suburban Massachusetts. In high school, Mo travelled to Russia and filmed and interviewed survivors of Stalin's purges throughout the country. She returned to Russia again the summer before her sophomore year in college to continue this work. Interviewing people in Russia who had endured great suffering and survived acts of terrible violence, as well as those who committed acts of violence and perpetuated great suffering, had a profound effect on Mo's world view. Her sense of how complicated and tenacious humanity is grew with her passion for education through the medium of film, making rarely heard stories more accessible. In college she created a documentary entitled "Our Story" about the shared experience of humanity that compared the powerful and parallel experiences of two women who overcame two very different kinds of suffering: political oppression under Stalin and the personal struggle of difficult childhood in rural New England. She also made two short films that creatively retold and reexamined the characters in Alexander Pushkin's "The Stationmaster" and Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita". Through film making she continues to explore common threads of the human experience despite cultural, linguistic and religious differences. Upon graduating, Mo co-founded Sol Productions, a non-profit film company, and, together with her two film partners, explores the human spirit outside the borders of the North American United States. She has filmed the Presidential elections in Venezuela and France. Today, Mo is working on these two political documentaries: one of President Hugo Chavez's re-election in Venezuela and one of African immigrants during the recent French presidential elections.
BIO
Moussa grew up in Dakar, Senegal but has lived in Mantes La Jolie for several years now with his wife and family. He speaks multiple languages including English and graduated from University in Senegal. He has always worked in hip hop, working to help promote local groups and talent. The Democracy in Paris film project was his first film project and he hopes to do more in the future. He is a freelance fixer based out of Paris who has extensive knowledge and contacts within the suburbs and immigrant communities in and around Paris.
BIO
Ben Herson is the founder and director of Nomadic Wax – a global hip-hop record label and production company dedicated to record, documenting and presenting hip-hop and underground music from arounf the world. Herson is also an internationally celebrated producer and musician. He has released over a dozen globally acclaimed albums and recorded/produced numerous singles on compilations world wide. Herson has also played the drums and percussion for reggae legends Yabby U, Sugar Minott, and Glen Brown among others. While studying West African drumming in Senegal, Herson discovered a vibrant hip-hop scene in Dakar, Senegal. Enthralled by the political and social message of the groups’ lyrics, Herson began producing for Senegal’s top MCs c-founding and spearheading the critically acclaimed African Underground series of African Hip-Hop. In 2004, Herson also co-founded the Trinity International Hip-Hop festival, the first free international hip-hop festival in the United States. In 2007, building upon his work in Senegal, Herson developed a seven-part documentary series on youth, hip-hop, and politics in West Africa titled “African Underground: Democracy in Dakar.” The documentary was co-produced with Sol Productions and has been screened at colleges, universities, and film festivals across the United States.
BIO
Born in Czechoslovakia and raised between Senegal, France, Tunisia and the Ivory Coast, I traveled the world to first pursuie my education and expand my experiences at an early age. It was during my peregrination that I discovered my passion for music and entertainment. I have been a musician, a Tour Operator, a fashion guru and a Party Promoter and my involvement with music, has been the best of my life thus far. I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of people, traveled to numerous places and most importantly, gain a foothold in the entertainment industry by founding my label, PR and consulting company Propagand'Arts. Propagand'Arts provides a wide range of services and contacts for up and coming artists in the entertainment business. Propangand'Arts' goal is to provide top-notch services to all clients that will help in their success as well as ours. Our services include talent management, artist development, promotions and production. We also specialize in representation as well as consulting for artists regarding development and marketing. In addition, I plan promotional parties and events for artists. Currently, I am handling lots of artists communication like the upcoming star Saga Boy, the Senegalese rap artist NIX, the international duo French Connektion, the Senegalo-German rap artist General Snipe as well as other upcoming superstars. I am also collaborating with several artists like the rap star Abass Abass, the Philly queen Medinah Starr, the New York female rapper Ebony Diamond etc.. My clients call me the "MIDDLE MAN" because I have the connections, the charisma and the natural knack for making things happen. I frequently negotiate with various parties in order to ensure the best deals possible for my clients and play an integral role in coordinating their successful events. I handle everything from forming and participating on artist "street teams"; to contacting, negotiating and securing vendors; to locating and acquiring opening acts; I make it happen. A recent project involved establishing contacts and assisting in the planning of the NOMADIC WAX and SOL PRODUCTIONS project called "DEMOCRACY IN DAKAR - 2007" and "DEMOCRAY IN PARIS - 2007".
Born in Czechoslovakia and raised between Senegal, France, Tunisia and the Ivory Coast, I traveled the world to first pursuie my education and expand my experiences at an early age. It was during my peregrination that I discovered my passion for music and entertainment. I have been a musician, a Tour Operator, a fashion guru and a Party Promoter and my involvement with music, has been the best of my life thus far. I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of people, traveled to numerous places and most importantly, gain a foothold in the entertainment industry by founding my label, PR and consulting company Propagand'Arts. Propagand'Arts provides a wide range of services and contacts for up and coming artists in the entertainment business. Propangand'Arts' goal is to provide top-notch services to all clients that will help in their success as well as ours. Our services include talent management, artist development, promotions and production. We also specialize in representation as well as consulting for artists regarding development and marketing. In addition, I plan promotional parties and events for artists. Currently, I am handling lots of artists communication like the upcoming star Saga Boy, the Senegalese rap artist NIX, the international duo French Connektion, the Senegalo-German rap artist General Snipe as well as other upcoming superstars. I am also collaborating with several artists like the rap star Abass Abass, the Philly queen Medinah Starr, the New York female rapper Ebony Diamond etc.. My clients call me the "MIDDLE MAN" because I have the connections, the charisma and the natural knack for making things happen. I frequently negotiate with various parties in order to ensure the best deals possible for my clients and play an integral role in coordinating their successful events. I handle everything from forming and participating on artist "street teams"; to contacting, negotiating and securing vendors; to locating and acquiring opening acts; I make it happen. A recent project involved establishing contacts and assisting in the planning of the NOMADIC WAX and SOL PRODUCTIONS project called "DEMOCRACY IN DAKAR - 2007" and "DEMOCRAY IN PARIS - 2007".
