From Shelter to The LAB: AMÉMÉ’s One Tribe continues to make its mark on Amsterdam

In the ever-evolving landscape of electronic music, few artists embody the spirit of global unity and cultural fusion quite like AMÉMÉ. Born in West Africa, influenced by Berlin, and based in Brooklyn, AMÉMÉ has emerged as a trailblazer in the afro-house scene, seamlessly blending diverse musical traditions into a sound that's uniquely his own.

At the heart of AMÉMÉ's artistic vision lies One Tribe, a multifaceted collective that encompasses music, art, and fashion. Originally conceived in 2017 as a curated event series in New York, One Tribe has since expanded into a record label and a global movement, championing innovative sounds and forward-thinking approaches to afro-house.

2024 marks a pivotal year for AMÉMÉ and One Tribe, with the relaunch of their signature event series across major cities worldwide. From the iconic fabric in London to a quarterly residency at Amsterdam's Shelter, One Tribe is bringing its unique brand of cultural fusion to dancefloors around the globe. The collective's mission to bridge cultural gaps through music has never been more relevant or impactful.

As AMÉMÉ prepares for One Tribe's next landmark event during Amsterdam Dance Event on October 19th, featuring special guests like LP Giobbi and Baron, we sat down with the visionary artist to discuss his journey, the evolution of One Tribe, and his mission to unite global communities through the universal language of music.

Fresh off his electrifying set at Shelter, recorded for Mixmag's The LAB Amsterdam, AMÉMÉ opens up about his cultural influences, the challenges of pushing a new sound, and the moments that have defined One Tribe's remarkable ascent. To speak further on his growth and development as an independent artist, AMÉMÉ is also set to take the stage at ADE Pro for The State of Independence in 2024 and Beyond panel on Wednesday, October 16th.

Watch AMÉMÉ’s electrifying closing set from June’s edition of One Tribe at Shelter, recorded for The LAB Amsterdam — available now on Mixmag’s YouTube channel.

Mixmag: As someone deeply connected to music culture in the Netherlands, what aspects of Dutch music scene do you find most inspiring and influential? What makes you feel connected to Amsterdam?

AMÉMÉ: What I like especially about electronic music in the Netherlands is how forward thinking the scene is on genre diversity – and how you can find almost every genre within its own space thriving at its highest potential somewhere throughout the cities. If you go to Amsterdam, you can find the best Tech House parties with the greatest visuals. You can then turn around and go to the best Afro House parties, and also turn around and find the best deep house parties. Guys like Garden of Babylon come and do their own thing. It’s the genuine energy of both sides of this scene; the crowd and the production. It’s an energy unlike anywhere else and what keeps the city evolving.

Mixmag: Looking back at your journey as an artist, how has your cultural heritage and your exposure to a global community influenced your approach to music and performance?

AMÉMÉ: My cultural heritage has established the foundation of my sound. I was born and raised in West Africa, Benin - rhythm and drums just speak to me very naturally. Then when I moved to New York, the exposure of the city’s melting pot positioned me to think in this very specific way where I wanted to explore and bridge sounds between divergent worlds, which is exactly what I try to do with my music.

Mixmag: What inspired you to create One Tribe, and how does it resonate with your personal journey as an artist?

AMÉMÉ: So, I’m not gonna lie. The main reason why I started One Tribe, and I have been pushing this sound for over a decade, is because at the beginning it was really hard to find gigs. The sound wasn’t that popular. People were struggling to connect to the music - bookers and promoters weren’t getting it, and it was even harder to release afro house successfully.

After having conversations with other artists, and finding out a lot of us were facing the same struggles, I decided to create One Tribe because I wanted to create a platform for myself and for anyone else who was on the same musical journey as me. This way we had our own space to nurture that sound and bring it to the world in a way that they'd be able to receive it.

Mixmag: What can you tell us about One Tribe’s return to the scene, and how 2024’s re-launch expands on its humble origins in Brooklyn, New York?

AMÉMÉ: 2024 is a “comeback” year for One Tribe because it allowed for us to really expand a lot with the revitalization of the event series. After the first date at fabric in London, we started our residency at Shelter, one of the most iconic clubs in the Netherlands. October 19th for our ADE edition we’re excited to invite very special friends of ours to join like LP Giobbi. We’ve done two showcases in Egypt and brought One Tribe to Ibiza and New York. — Coming off of a 2 year hiatus and jumping right back into the mix was us sending a message to both the industry and the people who have been vibing with us since the beginning that we’re here and we’re going to continue to push the boundaries with what’s possible in afro house.

Mixmag: How has the response been this year with the other inaugural events since re-launch in London, Ibiza, Egypt, and New York? How do you tailor your performances to resonate with the energy and vibe of each location?

AMÉMÉ: When it comes to the One Tribe events, it’s not necessarily just about the crowd. It’s also about the artists. It kind of starts with the artists first, because when we are catering our lineups to each city we like to do things “family style” — so we try to book the artists that we believe will resonate best with the crowd. This may not be the artist who can sell the most tickets, but is an artist who understands what the DNA of One Tribe, and is what the music stands for. That has really translated well into being received by the crowd and is a homerun - we’re selling out every showcase - and a community is truly forming around this sound.

Mixmag: Could you share a memorable moment from the original One Tribe events in New York that made you realize the concept was going to grow exponentially?

AMÉMÉ: For sure. I can still remember the launch event in Brooklyn that we did on a Sunday because House of Yes wouldn’t give us a Friday or Saturday. And everyone was worried because Fridays and Saturdays were always the notorious nights for House of Yes — Sunday’s were considered a very risky thing to do. We only took a couple of weeks to promote it, but I remember once the event was happening I looked around and saw all of my friends, my family, my mom, sister, and brothers — people who have been supporting me for years, and tons of new faces that I didn’t recognize. Just seeing all of their faces and the pure expression of joy from experimenting with this new concept they’d never experienced before… I knew that we had something special.

Mixmag: Can you discuss a specific moment or experience that encapsulates the essence of One Tribe and its mission to unite global communities through art and music?

AMÉMÉ: I think one moment that really sticks out to me is from the first One Tribe showcase we did at fabric in London this year. At the end of the night we like to end things “family style” and all of the artists [Bontan, Nenahalena, and Philou Louzo] came together for a b2b2b with me. There was something about the way the music and energy reverberated throughout that entire room - everyone was in their own little world of afro house. Some people were dancing and ecstatic, and some people were blissful and had their eyes closed. But regardless of whatever emotion someone was feeling, everyone was united and connected through the music from the artist to the crowd.

Mixmag: How do you navigate the intersection between music, art, and fashion within the One Tribe collective, and how does each element contribute to the overall vision?

AMÉMÉ: I mean at the end of the day, it’s all about the music. The music is at the core of this thing, with music being one of the strongest expressions of art – but art takes many shapes and forms. And we wanted to use this platform to be able to express and communicate all representations of art, and our story. The audio/visual element is only the beginning of One Tribe - but through other expressions such as the fashion collaborations we’ve done, the different artwork we use for cover-art and visuals, and even food (we had One Tribe burgers with plantain at our first events) it allows us to elevate the One Tribe experience and really immerse people in this world where all of these elements connect.

Mixmag: Reflecting on this year’s 2 dates of the quarterly One Tribe residency at Shelter, Amsterdam, what emotions and experiences stood out to you the most during the performances?

AMÉMÉ: It’s interesting, because this has really only been my second year playing regularly in the Netherlands. What I’ve realized from the jump at the first event, is it was just an expression on people’s faces, especially the people who get really close to the booth and watch us… they would come and say “I saw you here and there, and now we’re here”. And you could see that they were there with a purpose - you could see they wanted to be part of the journey.

They would come early. They would stay all night. I could’ve never expected this kind of a response. And when we’re doing these events I like to take time before I play to monitor the room and make sure everything is perfect, and while I do so I’m having conversations and connecting with random people in the crowd. The personal experience I’m having with our fans that are coming to these events are fueling my personal mission to build this community more and more.

Mixmag: What was one particularly special moment of the night from your most recent One Tribe event at Shelter for the Mixmag LAB Netherlands fans can see in the recording?

AMÉMÉ: The first track of my set. The first drop. It’s one of my new unreleased songs, and I wanted to start the night out with a banger so I thought to myself “I’m going to play my best unreleased track and set the tone for the whole set” – I went straight for it. I can remember as soon as that first drop hit the entire room’s response being nothing short of explosive.

Mixmag: Reflecting on your recent releases, what can you tell us about the music you’ve released so far this year?

AMÉMÉ: This year was a very interesting year because it was a testing ground in the sense that my music connects different worlds with an afro base, and I’m always experimenting with different sounds. This year was pivotal in developing my sound further which is why I didn’t release as much music as I wanted to, but all I’ve got to say for next year is watch out for what’s to come.

Mixmag: As an artist, how do you feel when you find that special connection with the audience whilst playing your tracks? You play in so many different places all over the world but these moments must be very special for you.

AMÉMÉ: Let me tell you something, DJing is like having a conversation with someone. And when I talk to people, sometimes I can feel very disconnected because I’m either not passionate about the subject or I just don’t care about whatever that is. But other times in conversation my attention just grabs and you can feel it like there’s a glue moment going on here.

Translating that to music in that moment when you go to play your song and you’re thinking to yourself about how the crowd is going to react, and then when the drop hits they react even better than you could’ve even hoped for… that’s when you’re like “alright this whole thing has a purpose”. So everyday when I play I’m just getting more and more signs that I’m supposed to be here, and that’s one of the most meaningful affirmations for me.

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