Bio
In the exciting streets of West Berlin in the 1970s, an extraordinary graffiti artist was born who not only wrote her own story, but also significantly influenced a major era of urban art in Berlin. As a member of the first migrant generation born in Germany, with roots in Yugoslavia, she shaped her own identity and developed her unique artistic style.
At the tender age of 12, she entered the rough streets of Schöneberg in the 1980s and began finding her way in the city as a kind of "little gangster." Inspired by the Jugostars/GIANTS, a gang of youths from the Balkans who came together to find their footing in the new environment, she found her place in this vibrant community. Breakdancing, graffiti and hip hop jams flourished among the migrant gangs of the 80s, and the youth gathered in youth clubs like the "Zille," where like-minded people from all districts came together.
Her older sister worked at the most popular soul and funk clubs in West Berlin, including the "PI," "Orpheo," "SUGAR Shack," "River Boot" "90Grad" and "Jungle." At just 13, she was dancing on the dance floors and fell passionately in love with the music. Her talent for dancing eventually brought her to Juan of "The City Rockers," who asked her and her friend Dünya to learn with him. Although female players were rarely seen at that time, exceptions like Gina Graffiti from the "GFA" crew and Nelly as a dancer and singer, also from the Balkans, were respected by the guys. Even some guys like Maxxim, RIP, Alos 36Boys RIP, AMI D RIP, SAY 36 Juniors and Shek encouraged and supported Danone. Show more...
Eventually she became known as "Dan1," and in 1990 at the Jugoschule she got the nickname "Danone Jogurt." At the end of 1991 she joined KSB (King Size Banditz), founded by KANE and DEK7. The two later founded their own crews, "Kane UTS" and "DEK7 LTX," but the girls stayed together in KSB: Danone, Mira (DJ Laura), Emely, Arie, Dine and Mel (Melbeatz), and the only boy, Kacaoe (Bandit77).
Inspired by the artists in her neighborhood, including Adrian "AAM," DJ DAN "AC/Art Creators," Futura 2000 and "P.of.C. (Partner of Crime)," as well as many other pioneers, Danone took to the streets early on and joined the best of her time. Graffiti tags on the city's walls were like Picassos in a museum to her.
There would be countless stories one could tell about Danone. In 1992 she started "bombing" nationwide, often in connection with visits to hip hop jams. Of course she also got caught and was the first to have to remove her own tags from the BVG walls. In doing so, she gained insights into the executive level and realized that it was all about politics. She was the first to see a canvas by Zaintz hanging in the executive suite - a sign that BVG management themselves were fans of graffiti art.
In 1992, as war raged in the Balkans and deportation loomed, she did not let herself be discouraged and became an inspiration to a new generation of spray painters. Finally, in 1999 she obtained German citizenship. While Mel and Kool Savas took off and founded their own label, Danone and Mira watched their backs.
To this day, Danone remains a defining figure in the Berlin graffiti community, having shaped the scene with her legendary values of peace, love and harmony - values she has embodied and spread for almost four decades. Her biography is not only a personal journey, but also a journey through the history of urban art in Berlin, characterized by dedication, passion and a strong community. Show Less...
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