
Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force
Blå
Saturday 17th August 22:00
A dream between Dakar og Berlin | Oslojazz 2024
Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force is a collaboration between a rotating group of Senegalese sabar musicians and the German techno legend Mark Ernestus (the man behind Basic Channel and Rhythm and Sound). Their sound has been refined through many iterations of intercontinental exchange.
A meeting in 2007 with a Gambian DJ team introduced Ernestus to 'mbalax,' a Senegalese, polyrhythmic type of dance music developed in the early 70s, based on rhythms from sabar. This is a drumming style with a thunderous sound that has historically been used for communication to reach neighboring towns up to 16 kilometers away. Ernestus traveled to Dakar and ended up recording with an improvised ensemble of over 20 mbalax musicians and percussionists, including veterans from the bands of the Senegalese legends Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour. Over two years of repeated trips resulted in seven records of hypnotic, dub-influenced mbalax, released under the name Jeri-Jeri. Eventually, this crystallized into a core group of 12 musicians for intensive collaboration.
Ndagga Rhythm Force - named with reference to the legendary Bronx dub-session band Wackies Rhythm Force - was formed in 2014, distilling the mbalax sound into a more minimal iteration that has been described as an "expression of a dream between Dakar and Berlin."
Concert start: 22.00
Doors: 21.00