- "I do activism as much as I can." The Peruvian DJ and producer talks about the human rights issues close to her heart and the incredible story behind her debut album.
- Sofia Kourtesis is a Peruvian DJ and producer based in Berlin. She's known for making buoyant, upbeat music that channels and transmutes sociopolitical activism and personal hardship. Her solo works, the Fresia Magdalena EP and her debut LP, Madres, both came out on Ninja Tune to critical acclaim, putting her on the map as a headlining touring artist. Both releases speak to some of the discrimination Kourtesis has felt as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in South America, as well as how she's confronted difficult topics like family caregiving, illness and death.
In this RA Exchange recorded live at C2C Festival in Turin, she opened up about her mother's recent battle with cancer and the neurosurgeon who provided life-saving surgery (as a thank you, Kourtesis took him and his surgery team out to one of her shows in Berlin). She also went deep on her commitment to human rights. For Kourtesis, music is a form of activism and healing; she uses it to talk about her Latin American community and the movements that are happening, and to highlight the diverse range of demonstrations for equality, the queer community and abortion rights.
In a touching final moment of our talk, she opened up about the homophobia that ultimately caused her to leave her school in Lima and depart from Peru altogether. She's been based in Germany since she was 17. Listen to the episode in full.