Boi Akih Entangled
Vocalist Monica Akihary and guitarist and composer Niels Brouwer have been exploring new paths together as Boi Akih since 1997. They keep looking for new forms, with catchy songs flowing seamlessly into free improvisation. Entangled(recently released on Enja Records), their eleventh album, is about the bigger picture: the interdependence of people and nature and the fragility of that relationship. The music draws freely on many styles, but always comes into being in the moment. It lives in the tension between composition and improvisation, where spontaneity brings urgency and intensity and an underlying structure provides a foothold.

Monica Akihary vocals, bass kalimba, conch shell, electroacoustic sounds, Niels Brouwer seven-string classical guitar, analogue synth, electroacoustic sounds

Voices of the Moluccas
The second part of the evening centres on Voices of the Moluccas, a new project by Akihary and Brouwer with a larger line-up. The starting point is the Lagu Lagu repertoire: centuries-old Moluccan song, captured in field recordings from 1948 and reshaped with the energy of today. Together with vocalists Julya Lo’ko and Maria Lekranty, pianist Mark Milan, bassist David de Marez Oyens and drummer Viqtor Lekranty, a collective sound emerges between tradition, jazz and free improvisation. The musicians share a long history, including in the Moluccan Moods Orchestra, and that connection is audible: sharply attentive, free and full of trust.

Maria Lekranty vocals, Julya Lo’ko vocals, Monica Akihary vocals, Niels Brouwer guitar, Mark Milan keys, David de Marez Oyens bass, Viqtor LeKranty drums