Mariana Sadovska

Mariana Sadovska by MEYER ORIGINALS

Mariana Sadovska is an internationally renowned singer, multi-instrumentalist, artist and composer. Born in Lviv, Ukraine, where she was trained as a classical pianist, the Cologne-based artist has continued her artistic journey in various directions. By organizing ethno-musical expeditions in rural Ukraine and Poland, she has collected a large body of traditional songs, stories and rituals that she transforms into modern sounds for today`s generations.

Mariana Sadovska systematically explores and experiments with new sounds. In addition to her outstanding solo performances, international collaborations have led to a variety of successful and fascinating artistic projects, such as her recently composed piece “Chernobyl. A Harvest” commissioned by and performed together with the Kronos Quartet or her “Borderland” project with German jazz musicians. She was awarded the German World Music RUTH in 2013.

www.marianasadovska.com

Majid Bekkas

Majid Bekkas studied at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Rabat and learnt Gnaoua music through the teachings of the master Ba Houmane. Gnaoua came originally from West Africa, the cradle of the Blues, and were deported along with the slaves to Morocco. Bekkas started in the 80s to combine Jazz & Blues with different Moroccan music styles. Since then, he performed with his own band as well as with famous artists such as Joachim Kühn, Archie Shepp, Bassekou Kouyate, Klaus Doldinger and Louis Sclavis around the world.

Photo Majid Bekkas by Omar-Mhammedi

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Sandhya Sanjana

Sandhya Sanjana was born in Bombay, India where she studied Hindustani vocal music from several gurus. She discovered jazz and blues and her compositions combine these various elements. She sings in several Indian languages. Currently she lives in Amsterdam where she has three bands featuring varied genres of music. Her greatest joy is in combining diverse streams into a cohesive musical language. 

Photo Sandhya Sanjana by SONY DSC

Prince Moussa Cissokho

Prince Moussa Cissokho is one of the great Kora players and singers from Senegal. Born and raised in an influential Griot family, he was taught early by his father, traveled with him and played at traditional ceremonies in Senegal, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau. Moussa Cissokho belongs to the Mandinka family, the people of medieval Mali, the largest West African empire in history. According to his tradition, he learned to play the Kora and the dances and chants from childhood. Moussa Cissokho was a member of the Ballet National de Senegal for 6 years. Today he lives in Austria and plays with musicians from Europe and Africa.

www.princemoussacissokho.com

Aly Keita

Aly Keita has earned worldwide recognition for his mastery of the balafon. While rooted in tradition, Keita’s Afro-pop, funk-fueled rhythm section and taste for complex jazz-oriented arrangements set him far apart from most balafon players.
The way he plays is just spectacular. The sticks in his hands seem to dance on the wooden keys of the instrument. He has played alongside artists like Joe Zawinul, Amadou & Mariam, Pharoah Sanders and Rhoda Scott. Aly Keita lives in Berlin today, where he met the Dutch drummer Marcel van Cleef and the Italian Bass player Roberto Badoglio. The Trio combines the West African rhythms with elements of jazz and creates a fantastic soundscape. 

www.alykeita.org

Stefan Bauer

Stefan Bauer, vibraphonist, marimba player and composer, is active in a wide-ranging field of music between tradition and avant-garde. Inspirational journeys and memorable collaborations with many fantastic musicians resulted in his nine CD releases to date under his own name. Bauer sees himself as a musical narrator who uses various stylistic means and the “voices” of a large group of individualistic musicians for his compositions. Stefan Bauer has performed at festivals from Abidjan to Zurich over decades and is an established jazz musician in Germany, Canada and in his home town of Brooklyn, NY.

“Bauer is a player of no uncertain gifts, strong in the technique and introspective feeling, whose instincts suggest a Euro-Canadian jazz connection.” Josef Woodard, Jazziz

 

Photo Stefan Bauer by Volker Beushausen

http://www.stefanbauer.net/