WOMEX 11 Guide

© Zaman Production © Nono© JahseAsif Ali Khan & Party (Pakistan)Contact: Zaman ProductionLabel: Long DistanceAyarkhaan (Russia)Contact: Window to EuropeLabel: unsignedBaianaSystem (Brazil)Contact: Roberto BarretoLabel: Garimpo MúsicaBlitz the Ambassador (Ghana/USA)Contact, Label: Embassy MVMTArtists A – ZS h o w c a s e sFriday 00:45 Studio 1 Saturday 23:30 Studio 1Praised by the great qawaali singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,as one of his finest students, Asif Ali Khan has establishedhimself as a worthy bearer of the late maestro’s torch. Stillat a young age, his vocal prowess and thrilling im pro vi sationsalready show the mark of a master. He comes froma well known family of Sufi musicians and the group ofwhich he is now the focal point was started by his grandfatherand carried on by his father. Since Nusrat’s deathin 1997, Asif has participated in tribute concerts andrecordings, dedicated to the memory of his teacher, buthas also developed a style and presence all of his own,making him hugely popular in his homeland of Pakistanand an emergent figure on the international stage.www.zamanproduction.com/artiste/asif-ali-khan-partyAsif Ali Khan vocalsRaza Hussain harmoniumSarfraz Hussain harmoniumKhawar Ali tablaMuhammad Shahid Hussain backing vocalsManzoor Hussain Shibli backing vocalsUmar Draz Hussain backing vocalsImtiaz Hussain Shibli backing vocalsNasir Khan backing vocalsBakhat Fiyyaz Hussain backing vocalsAyarkhaan are international ambassadors of the musicof Yakutia, now the Republic of Sakha in eastern Siberia.Founded in 2002 by Albina Degtyareva, they are leadersin the revival, preservation and interpretation of theancient traditions and wisdom of the Yakut people.Drawing on a variety of singing styles – nasal, throat andpalatal – and utilising their astonishing dexterity on thekhomus, they transport the listener to the vast, sparselypopulated expanses of their homeland with sounds thathark back to the shamanistic rituals of centuries past. Thekhomus functions like a jew’s harp but is much louderand capable of a wider range of expression. Chorallyconceived yet almost electronic sounding in effect,Ayarkhaan create ethereal evocations of the power ofnature, the animal and spirit world with a captivating,contemporary presentation.www.ayarkhaan.comAlbina Degtyareva vocals, khomusNariana Renanto vocals, khomusAlisa Savvinova vocals, khomusFriday 23:00 Foyer Stage 2At the heart of this multi-layered, multi-media soundspectacle are the cascading arpeggios eked out of theguitarra baiana by project creator Robertinho Barreto. It’sa small, solid electric guitar derived from the cavaquinho,which for decades has shaped the urban styles of frevoand choro characterising the carnival of Recife. Barretoexposes the instrument to a range of influences, fromAfrican guitar styles to the looping psychedelia ofJamaican dub, creating a stunning melodic centre to therhythmic inventions of the System, who meld bass guitar,percussion, samplers and inspired improvised interplayfrom singer and lyricist Russo Passapusso into a joyouslydriving whole that is light, tight and massive, while VJFilipe Cartaxo provides the visual concept of a soundsystem jumping straight from the Bahian streets into yourimagination.www.baianasystem.com› CD WOMEXIMIZER 11› WOMEX 11 Showcase Trailer on www.womex.comRusso Passapusso vocalsFilipe Cartaxo VJ, art directorJuninho Costa/Junix guitar, keyboard FXRobertinho Barreto guitarra baiana, guitarMarcelo Seco bassWilton Batata percussionFriday 21:00 Foyer Stage 2Blitz the Ambassador spins tales of the struggle forlove and dignity, the trials of émigré alienation and theshadows cast by history, all set to swirls of brass, distortedguitars, and the crackle of old amplifiers. The Ghanaianborn,New York-based MC, composer and producerunleashes psychedelic afrobeat colours and triple-timerhymes sparked in Accra yet forged in the Africandiaspora, where Fela meets Chuck D and highlife meetship-hop. Hearing Public Enemy at school in Ghana wasthe catalyst that awoke his poetic talents. Later, studyingin the USA, he began to meld the disparate influences hehad grown up with, learning to rap in 6/8 time, riffing onold r&b and Ethiopian funk. Now with his self-producedalbum and the remarkable short film Native Sun, he’s onhis way to invade your consciousness.www.blitz.mvmt.com› CD WOMEXIMIZER 11› WOMEX 11 Showcase Trailer on www.womex.comBlitz the Ambassador lead vocalsEzra Brown saxophoneClemens Braun tromboneSydney Driver drumsRaja Kassis guitarRamon de Bruyn bassArtists A – ZS h o w c a s e s180181