COSMOS Embassy: Detroit, USA

In partnership with Underground Music Academy. 

“KNOW THE PAST. CHANGE THE FUTURE.”

Operating under this slogan, Detroit’s Underground Music Academy is a place to learn about the past, present, and future of dance music. A utopian space for the city's aspiring musicians, created by a team of idealists brought together by Detroit’s own Waajeed. Among music fans, few places occupy a similar space in the collective imagination like Detroit. The birthplace of Motown and techno, and a stronghold for innovations in hip-hop, soul, garage rock, house and more, the Motor City has had its fair share of glorification. Waajeed and his team of kindred spirits, however, are less concerned with the 313's past, but the city’s bright future. An eclectic producer, DJ, and co-founder of Detroit rap renovators Slum Village, Waajeed is using his skills, resources and contacts to create a space for knowledge-sharing and community. Shortly before the pandemic, the Underground Music Academy grew from an idealistic dream into a reality. Based on the legendary Berry Gordy Boulevard (named after Motown’s founder), UMA hosts workshops and educational programs, a studio, and space for people from around the globe to get together and collaborate.