QWANQWA + HABBINA HABBINA
QWANQWA + HABBINA HABBINA
Saturday, April 6
QWANQWA ቋንቋ + Habbina Habbina
7:30PM (doors at 7PM)
ETHIO GROOVE FROM ADDIS. MEDITERANEAN SURF FROM BROOKLYN.
Once in awhile it’s fun to cram two wildly different groove based projects into a single night.
QWANQWA lands from far away Addis Ababa, led by the wondrous Azmari powerhouse singer Selamnesh Zemene and accompanied by virtuoso improvisers performing on stringed instruments like the krar and masinko. Kaethe Hostetter (of the former Boston-based Ethio group Debo Band) adds psychedelic effects with her pedal-enhanced violin. This is ecstatic, euphoric stuff.
HABBINA HABBINA shreds Mediterranean surf rock and mid-east psych, inspired by all kinds of things but certainly the guitar stylings of Aris San and Dick Dale. Israeli-NYC guitarist Amit Peled (A-WA, Ramzailech) is joined by bassist Ran Livneh (Anbessa Orchestra) and Cem Misiliorglu (Sessa).
QWANQWA: PSYCHEDELIC ROOTS MUSIC FROM ETHIOPIA
Beaming in from the sizzling Addis Ababa nightlife scene, QWANQWA shines an experimentalism based in the virtuosity of rooted traditions. With swirling masinko (one-stringed fiddle), wah-wah violin, bass krar grooves, the heavy riffs of goat skin kebero beats, and powerful mellismatic lead African diva vocals, the vibe is shamanic and heady; it brings to life centuries old Azmari traditions and pairs it with the Golden Age Ethiopiques sounds of the 1970s.
QWANQWA ( ቋንቋ ) , a palindrome in Amharic, means “language.” The group is dedicated to creating musical dialogues between cultures and building on the proposition that music is a universal language that transcends borders. Their distinct sound is grounded on an array of Ethiopian traditional instruments.
The band is back in the US for the second time after a successful three-month run in 2022. Members of the group have played with artists such as the EX, Thurston Moore, Fred Frith, Butch Morris, Debo Band, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatke and Ethiocolor.
BROOKLYN INDIE MEETS MEDITERRANEAN PSYCH SURF
“Habbina Habbina”, named after a beloved song by Syrian singer Farid El-Atrache, takes its inspiration from Egyptian pop, retro-Mediterranean hits, James Bond soundtracks, Umm Kulthum, Britney Spears, and much much more.
The band is determined to make every concert turn into a loud, unforgettable celebration of life. Their dedication to the lineage of Mediterranean music along with their unstoppable live mosh-pit energy will wake up your inner child, guaranteed.
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Online pre-sale is over for this event but you can purchase tickets at the door for $25.
