Article by Sergej Iwanaga (30.01.2025)

Feel-good, laid-back and love-struck. That is what you get when listening to Prismala. They are a self proclaimed “neo-soul and alternative-rock” band, made up mostly of ex-NMS members. We have already seen them performing some amazing songs at our Festival of Nations, and so three members of the NMS Gazette Newspaper just had to go see their concert. The Badehaus near Warschauer Straße U-Bahn and S-Bahn sets the mood for the evening. A venue on the smaller side, dimly lit and perfect for Prismala’s entrancing music. Of course, due to this band's tight knit fan base (people from NMS), we were destined to meet a couple of teachers, who fortunately explained the lineup to us. 

Prismala is made up of four band members: Leon, Freddie, Adama, and Niklas. The latter three grew up together and subsequently added their fourth member, Leon, to complete their team. Adama, the lead vocalist and also a guitarist, guides the flow of the music, stringing the cast together. Niklas, the drummer, is the rhythm that maintains that flow created by the vocals. Along with Leon, the bassist, they together embellish the songs to give it that free-flowing Prismala style. Finally, Freddie the lead guitarist is responsible for all the guitar riffs and solos, giving the music an extra flare. The concert, which was titled “Prismala & Friends” allowed us not only to relish in the gifts of the band, but also a select group of other tight knit musicians, a unique bunch. 

Freddie playing the guitar // (From left to right) Niklas, Adama, Leon

These musicians: Max Buskohl, carls8berg, Poppy Dames, RUBY and Colin R. Lloyd joined Prismala on stage, really creating an unforgettable atmosphere. 

(From left to right) Poppy Dames // Adama and End of the Concert, final goodbyes 

To say this evening was wonderful would be an understatement. The band and the audience seemed like one interconnected body. My favorite song was “Stella”, a single from 2024. The trumpet solos by Colin were also amazing. There is something just magical about a band which functions so well together, with their smooth melodies, love-centric lyrics and groovy rhythm. The concert ended with all of us chanting the lyrics to a song and a couple more chants of “Zugabe”.

As we were getting ready to leave, Mr. Rapholo kindly invited us to meet the band backstage. All of them were busy cleaning up the stage and bringing their gear away, but were nice enough to chat with us. They were very down to earth, joking about shared experiences at our school and super willing to take a picture with us.

All in all, Prismala is a band which I can only recommend. 11/10. To fully understand their music, you would have to see them live, something you are bound to do in Berlin. Another special thanks to the band and to Mr. Rapholo. Their social media links are provided under this article, additionally you will find the details of the other musicians who also performed that night. 

Prismala - www.weareprismala.com @weareprismala

      Max Buskohl -  @buskohl

      carls8berg - @carlsberg

      Poppy Dames - @pilgrim.x 

      RUBY -  @ruby@musiq

      Colin R. Lloyd - www.colinrlloyd.com @ colinrlloyd

(All images displayed in this article were taken by Sergej Iwanaga)