Burkina Electric CANCELLED

The Cedar advises that this show has been cancelled. Ticket purchasers are referred to The Cedar's Ticket Refund Policy. Burkina Electric is the first electronica band from Burkina Faso, in  the deep interior of West Africa. With its main base in the music  scene of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital, it is, at the same time,  an international band, with members living in New York, U.S.A. and  Düsseldorf, Germany, as well as in Ouaga. Burkina Electric's music combines the traditions and rhythms of Burkina Faso with contemporary electronic dance culture, making it a trailblazer in electronic world music. This diverse and talented group consists of four musicians and two dancers who collectively participate in the creative process and represent disparate musical genres and sounds from across the globe.

Rather than recycling well-known rock and funk rhythms, Burkina Electric seeks to enrich the fabric of electronic dance music by using unusual rhythms that are rarely heard and little-known even in much of Africa. This includes ancient rhythms of the Sahel, such as the Mossi peoples' Ouaraba and Ouenega, but also new rhythms of their own creation. The band invites you to discover that these exotic rhythms groove at least as powerfully as disco, house, or drum & bass!

Additionally, the group creates a unique and refreshing musical world that is all their own by incorporating sounds of traditional instruments and found sounds recorded in Burkina Faso. It is truly African electronica, an exotic exploration and fusion of musical styles both experimental and entertaining. Performances are often further enhanced by the use of live-manipulated video.

Award-winning singer Maï Lingani, a star in Burkina Faso because of her unique voice and charismatic stage presence, sings in Moré, Dioula, Bissa, and French. Wende K. Blass, one of Burkina's premier guitarists, contributes soulful guitar melodies. Electronicist/VJ Pyrolator has been one of Germany's most inventive pop musicians and a top producer ever since the days of the "Neue Deutsche Welle" some 25 years ago as a founding member of bands D.A.F. and Der Plan, while New York-based drummer/electronicist Lukas Ligeti (son of modernist classical composer Gyorgi Ligeti) is one of the most up-and-coming concert music composers internationally. Known for his nonconformity, diverse interests, and imagination, he has received commissions from prominent groups such as the Kronos Quartet and the Bang on a Can All Stars. Vicky and Zoko Zoko are skilled dancers/choreographers who bring high energy and sharp moves, and also contribute powerful vocals.

In 2007, Burkina Electric released the double EP Rêem Tekré, featuring four of the group’s songs plus remixes by DJ Spooky, Paul de Jong (of The Books), Rupert Huber (of Tosca), Raz Mesinai (Badawi), and Stefan Schneider (Mapstation/To Rococo Rot). Also, Burkina Electric's song "Mdolé" is featured on the compilation Beyond The Horizon, assembled by BBC Radio DJ Charlie Gillett, released in July 2008 by Warner Classics & Jazz. The group’s debut full-length album, Paspanga, has just been released in North America by the New York-based label Cantaloupe Music.

An "irresistible brew of West African music and electronica" (The New York Times)
“Hot, intelligent and musical” (Steve Reich)

Tickets are on sale now from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets (Electric Fetus, Irish on Grand, Homestead Pickin' Parlor, Depth of Field),  and online at Ticketweb.