Tracklist:
A1: Impundu
A2: Bagore Beza
A3: Icumarusika
A4: Igisasa
B1: Umuduri
B2: Ronde de Cinq
B3: Amahamba
Shika Shika is proud to present “Rwandance” the third album by German multi-instrumentalist Andi Otto. Anyone that has had the opportunity to see Andi’s live performance knows about his talent as cellist and was no doubt blown away by his self-made device, the “Fello” – a sensor-extended cello bow.
“Rwandance” sees Andi move into new territory – born out of a meeting between Andi and Rwandan musician and dancer Evariste Karinganire, while collaborating for the music of dance piece Planet Kigali.
“The idea was to first listen to a music archive of songs and instrumental recordings of instruments from Rwanda. Then I tried to transform this material into my own sound. I was mesmerised from the very first moment when I heard this beautiful language: Kinyarwanda alongside these instruments like the Umuduri a percussive bow instrument, and rhythmical structures, like the 5/4 and 3/4 feelings which are the basis of many songs.”
Andi has a talent for using technology in a way that is touching and touchable, enticing out warm and organic tones from his machines. On “Rwandance” this sensibility enters into a perfect dialog and harmony with the traditional Rwandan rhythms. His break away from the traditional 4/4 structures of electronic music is not only refreshing but full of groove.
“Planet Kigali“ was premiered at Kampnagel in Hamburg at the end of 2018:
“Planet Kigali“ is about a bunch of time-travellers who come back from the future to our present year. They remember that there had still been borders and passports in 2019, a fine, utopian plot… and they represent a hypothesis of what aspects of Rwanda’s cultural tradition could look and sound like in 200 years. The time-warp makes it possible to shift the focus away from the topic of the country’s horrible genocide. Instead of investigating a post-traumatic society, the piece tries to jump ahead to the future and to the past simultaneously. Between old memories or recordings and our dreams, fears or expectations of the future.
