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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Entertainment - ISTA - Latin goes Hip Hop - Abiit

Download this episode (2 min)   

This demo track reproduced here on Latinum with the kind permission of the band.
Check out their website:
http://www.ista-latina.de/demos.php

A German hip hop band which raps in Latin. The band, Ista, was formed by a group of Classics pupils at a school in Wilhelmshaven in the 1990's.

The original seven members, which included Mr Barwig, who checked that the grammar was right, are now living scattered across Germany, having since grown up and become architects, teachers, a nurse and parents.

"Over the years we have sold around 2,500 CDs," said Mr Janssen. "Between 10 and 20 are bought per month, from our internet site.

"But in the last couple of years that has doubled and the media interest has been enormous. People have found us over the internet and we have sold CDs to people in the US and all across Europe."

A debate has been raging in German educational circles about whether Latin should be taught in school any more - and Ista is suddenly all the rage again.

"Latin is a good language to rap in actually. It has a good rhythm and can be to the point," says Janssen.

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