Breaking Briefs: Featuring MC Amjad (Switzerland)
For any Breaking event to be successful, a number of important ingredients are required. The dancers, of course. Experienced judges. DJs and exactly the right music.
One sometimes overlooked yet nevertheless critical element is the MC, who has the challenging job of making sure the entire proceeding runs smoothly while at the same time energizing and educating the audience to ensure everyone is properly engaged with what the b-boys and b-girls are doing.
At the World Urban Games (WUG) this weekend, this responsibility falls on the shoulders of Switzerland’s Amjad Khan, who will be accompanied by local mistress of ceremonies Rambo.
Amjad, who is of course no stranger to the scene having been a breaker, promoter, producer and MC for as long as anyone can remember, recently took some time out of his busy schedule to give his thoughts on Breaking’s inclusion at the first ever WUG, which begin tomorrow in the Hungarian capital.*
Q: What are you most looking forward to about the first World Urban Games?
A: I’m really looking forward to showing the world our true culture. Having the attention of the Olympic Committee and knowing that the world is watching is really exciting because I know this event is going to be a success and I really look forward to seeing the live band [drums and bass will accompany DJ Fleg and DJ South Scream] with the dancers, which is going to give a new dimension to that kind of big competition.
Q: What do you think the level of competition will be like in Budapest?
A: The competition will be really high level because the world’s 16 best b-boys and 16 best b-girls will be there.
Q: As MC, what is your main role during such events and how do you add your own style to what you do?
A: The role of the MC is to make people have a great time. Sometimes we have to explain what is going on to an audience that is not used to Breaking. And, of course, my own style is trying to transmit the feeling of the dance to the crowd and deliver to them something [they feel] inside that makes them scream or really enjoy what they are seeing.
Q: Do you think events like the World Urban Games, Youth Olympic Games and Olympic Games are having a good impact on Breaking and its growth and the community?
A: I think those big events are really good for our Breaking scene because they are going to bring more people into this dance. Breaking is really good because you need physical ability, you need to dance with the music, you need to know the music, it is a really healthy discipline to do. Our main goal now will be to keep our culture alive at such big events and not lose ourselves into competition and losing the cultural part, which is having fun, partying together, graffiti, rhyming on the mic, having the DJs.
Q: What are your feelings about Breaking provisionally being included on the sports programme for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
A: I’m really excited about it and I hope that it will be a success and that Breakers will finally be recognized by governments, big corporations and the general public for the hard work we have put into our art all these years.
Q: Any final words?
A: I’m really glad that the WUG let us be who we are without really changing to adapt to an audience. Like this, the general public can really see how we dance our culture and our style.
*All of the battles will be livestreamed on The Olympic Channel as well as here on Breaking For Gold.
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