All My Life Watching America

Play

A performance by and with the Mannheimer Stadtensemble | with lyrics by Serra Al-Deen | world premiere
In German language

A district called Franklin, squares like in Manhattan, Elvis performed here, the active US military camp, the Coleman Worksite or the rolling engines at John Deere: wherever you look, you will find traces of the USA in Mannheim. It is hard to imagine pop and world politics without the influence of the USA. Whether in the news, on the radio, in films or on social media, everything from environmental disasters to gossip and political crises is covered. This evening will focus on politics that seem far away but have real consequences for the biographies of people from Mannheim too. After "New World Franklin", "Unauthorized and Unashamed" and "Four Seasons", the Mannheim City Ensemble continues to explore the connections between Mannheim residents and the USA. We ask: Which stories have not yet been told? Which memories and ideas about the USA need to be mentioned? For some, the path of migration begins with a war in which world powers compete against each other, for others the longing for freedom is linked to experiencing the land of infinite possibilities, for still others it is about perspectives outside of Eurocentrism. A song from the radio provides the impulse to look at what direct influence the USA has on biographies from the region. Audio track: "All my life watching America"