NORWICH – Celebrating traditional African rhythms with a splash of un-traditional sounds of techno-hop and contemporary electronic dance moves, the band Burkina Electric has come a long way to perform for its first tour in the United States.
Burkina Electric will present their music to local audiences at 7 p.m. Friday at the Chenango County Council of the Arts.
Members of Burkina Electric, the first electronica band of the west African country of Burkina Faso, formed officially in 2004 and consists of backgrounds such as African, Austrian and German.
Lukas Ligeti, a renowned composer/percussionist originally of Austria and currently residing in New York City, worked in Africa for 13 years. In 1994 he and fellow band member German vj/electronicist Pyrolator worked for three weeks on the Ivory Coast and were introduced to the African culture and music. “It was a life changing experience ... it was a wonderful experience,” said Ligeti.
In 1996, Ligeti toured throughout Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world, and started working with his current band members, vocalist Mai Lingani, guitarist Wende K. Blass and Burkina dancers As Zoko and Vicky. “We all liked working together and decided to start a serious project,” said Ligeti.
The band, which has recently released its first CD, was invited to Chenango County through a grant from the New York State Music Fund. Ligeti says the grant made this week’s tour possible. “If not for this grant, we would not have gotten this wonderful experience,” he said.
Beginning Wednesday, members of Burkina Electric taught workshops to the students at Unadilla Valley Central School as part of a three-day residency. The students and teachers agree the experience was one that both represented the African culture and gave the students a chance to experience the un-traditional sounds through electronics.
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