Introducing Bokanté – the latest project from Snarky Puppy
Frontman Michael League has created a new international vocal sound
Members of Grammy-winning jazz collective Snarky Puppy have created yet another side project, led by bass player Michael League. He says he was writing and demoing music and melodies while on tour, and then sending them to Guadeloupian vocalist Malika Tirolien with lyrical concepts attached. After dozens of emails, they finally got together and recorded their debut album at New York’s famous Dreamland Studios. The result is their ‘Strange Circles’ LP due for worldwide release on June 9th.
The word ‘bokanté’ means ‘exchange’ in Creole – the language of Tirolien’s youth growing up in the Caribbean. Now living in Montreal, she joins guitarists Chris McQueen and Bob Lanzetti (from Snarky Puppy) and percussionists Jamey Haddad André Ferrari and Keita Ogawa plus pedal and lap steel virtuoso Roosevelt Collier. League says the music goes from Zeppelin-esque blues stomp to folkloric Caribbean kaladja over the course its ten tracks, blending the extensive and varied knowledge of the individual players with a strong, yet empathetic, lyrical approach.
The new band has announced two UK dates in the summer:
Manchester International Festival – July 6th 2017
London Union Chapel – July 7th 2017