The award-winning CSU Bakersfield Jazz program is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind concert featuring the trailblazing electronic world music ensemble Burkina Electric in the Doré Theater on Friday, September 23 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be obtained at the door on the night of the event for $10 general admission, $8 for seniors/faculty/staff, and $5 for students. CSUB students with a current student ID are admitted free. For more information call 661-654-3093.
Hailed by the New York Times as an "irresistible brew of West African music and electronica," Burkina Electric is the first electronic music group from Burkina Faso, in the deep interior of West Africa. Based in 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. This is a diverse and talented group consisting of four musicians and two dancers who combine the traditions and rhythms of Burkina Faso with contemporary electronic dance culture, bringing together disparate musical genres and sounds from across the globe.
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. New York-based drummer/electronicist Lukas 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, the Bang on a Can All Stars, and the American Composers Orchestra. Vicky and Zoko Zoko are skilled dancers/choreographers who bring high energy and sharp moves, and also contribute powerful vocals.
Burkina Electric has performed across the U.S. and beyond at venues such as the Festival Jazz à Ouaga in Burkina Faso, Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, the Newman Center in Denver, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Luminato Festival in Toronto, and the Montreal Jazz Festival, among many others.
