Boi Akih
Encyclopedia
Boi Akih is a jazz
/world music
trio
based in Amsterdam
, The Netherlands, composed of Monica Akihary on vocals, Niels Brouwer on guitar and prepared guitar, and Sandip Bhattachraya on tabla and percussion.
The group fuses musical traditions from the Molucca Islands, Bali
, Dutch (European) jazz, improvised music, classical Indian music and traditional African music. Initially started as a duo, the music is written by Brouwer and the lyrics are written by Brouwer and Akihary.
, Shujaat Hussain Khan, Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, Tarun Bhattacharya
, and many others. Niels Brouwer studied at the Hilversums Conservatorium, now the Conservatorium van Amsterdam
. Monica Akihary is a graduate of visual arts
studies in Amsterdam and Yogyakarta (Akademi Seni Rupa). Both studied classical Indian music in Bangalore
(2002) and Mumbai
(2004).
, Ernst Glerum, Owen Hart Jr., Sean Bergin
and Wolter Wierbos
.
n tour last September, Monica and Niels met the gamelan
virtuoso
I Made Subandi, who lives in Gianyar, Bali
. They invited I Made Subandi to play the chromatic gamelan in a line-up with voice, guitar, saxophone/clarinet, bass and drums. The project, “Philosophy of Love”, premiered in 2010. A live performance in Beijing
will take place on September 3, 2010 at the Star Live Music Hall.
, playing at such notable venues as: Berlin Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz, Kaunas Jazz Festival, and Bimhuis
. They have also appeared on diverse radio and TV programs, such as: VPRO
, France2, Radio France
, The BBC
, ORF
, and RTL4.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
trio
Trio
- Musical ensembles and forms :*Trio , three people performing music in some way*Piano trio *String trio *Trio *Clarinet-violin-piano trio...
based in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Netherlands, composed of Monica Akihary on vocals, Niels Brouwer on guitar and prepared guitar, and Sandip Bhattachraya on tabla and percussion.
The group fuses musical traditions from the Molucca Islands, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Dutch (European) jazz, improvised music, classical Indian music and traditional African music. Initially started as a duo, the music is written by Brouwer and the lyrics are written by Brouwer and Akihary.
Training and study
Sandip Bhattachraya, studied with Pandit Ishwar Lal Misra, in the style of the legendary tabla maestro Pandit Anokhelal Misra and has performed with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Prabha Atre, Lakshmi ShankarLakshmi Shankar
Lakshmi Shankar is a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana. She is known for her performances of khyal, thumri, and bhajans.Born in 1926, Lakshmi started her career in dancing...
, Shujaat Hussain Khan, Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, Tarun Bhattacharya
Tarun Bhattacharya
Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya is an Indian classical musician who plays the santoor, a type of hammered dulcimer. He has studied with Ravi Shankar and played with other Indian classical musicians such as Ronu Majumdar and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.-Career:...
, and many others. Niels Brouwer studied at the Hilversums Conservatorium, now the Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
The Conservatorium van Amsterdam is a Dutch academy of music located in Amsterdam. This school is the music division of the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, the city's vocational university of arts...
. Monica Akihary is a graduate of visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
studies in Amsterdam and Yogyakarta (Akademi Seni Rupa). Both studied classical Indian music in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
(2002) and Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(2004).
Linguistic importance
One of the unique aspects of Boi Akih is found in Monica Akihary’s lyrics. She writes and sings in her father’s native language, which has been regarded as moribund by the scientific world. Since 1998 Brouwer and Akihary have been working with Dutch and Australian linguists who study Haruku. With their help and support, Boi Akih not only keeps the tradition of the Langzame alive, but also employs the language in its most authentic form, poetic self-expression.Collaborations
Boi Akih has collaborated with Michael Vatcher, Ernst ReijsegerErnst Reijseger
ERNST REIJSEGER Cellist and composer Ernst Reijseger plays the cello from the age of seven and began as a performing cellist and improviser in 1969. From that time on he developed his own musical vocabulary...
, Ernst Glerum, Owen Hart Jr., Sean Bergin
Sean Bergin
Sean Bergin is an avant-garde jazz saxophonist and flautist originally from South AfricaBergin was born in Durban on June 29, 1948. He is saxophonist, flautist, composer, educator and bandleader....
and Wolter Wierbos
Wolter Wierbos
Wolter Wierbos is a Dutch jazz trombonist.Wierbos has played throughout Europe, Canada, USA and Asia...
.
Recent projects
During their IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n tour last September, Monica and Niels met the gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
I Made Subandi, who lives in Gianyar, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
. They invited I Made Subandi to play the chromatic gamelan in a line-up with voice, guitar, saxophone/clarinet, bass and drums. The project, “Philosophy of Love”, premiered in 2010. A live performance in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
will take place on September 3, 2010 at the Star Live Music Hall.
Touring and performing
Boi Akih spends most of their time performing in the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, playing at such notable venues as: Berlin Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz, Kaunas Jazz Festival, and Bimhuis
Bimhuis
The Bimhuis is a concert hall for jazz and improvised music in Amsterdam.With an average of 150 performances a year the Bimhuis is the main stage for these musical genres in the Netherlands....
. They have also appeared on diverse radio and TV programs, such as: VPRO
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
, France2, Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
, The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, ORF
ORF
ORF may refer to:* ORF , the Austrian public service broadcaster.* Open reading frame, a portion of the genome.* The IATA airport code for Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia.* ORF format , Olympus raw image file format....
, and RTL4.
Critical response
- ‘Boi Akih is a very convincing live act. Tabla player Sandip Bhattacharya, vocalist Monica Akihary and guitarist Niels Brouwer bring to life the intimacy of the songs.The gripping and fresh musical interaction, with Akihary singing partly in Haruku, the acoustic created sounds, melodies and rhythm of Niels Brouwer and the tabla enraptured us.’ (Jazzthetik 10 D)
- 'An extraordinary project, based on songs from the Moluccas wrapped up in arrangements that move between jazz and free chamber music.' (ORF/GlattundVerkehrt, 2007)
Discography
- 1997 Boi Akih (Invitation Records/ EMI 1997)
- 2000 Above the Clouds, Among the Roots (AL73205 A-Records 2000)
- 2003 Uwa i (ENJ-9472 2 Enja RecordsEnja RecordsEnja Records is a German jazz record label based in Munich, Germany. It was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971....
2004) - 2005 Lagu Lagu (BROMO 0001 boiakih 2005)
- 2007 Yalelol (ENJ-9487 2 ENJA Records 2007)