When Matanda, the extraordinary young percussionist and artist, performed for Calliope as part of the Remee Ashley Quartet in the summer of 2022 we knew we had to invite him back!
For this intriguing program, Matanda has created a theatrical tone poem expounding on world folk-music sonics.
Matanda will be joined by the Oakland-raised multi-instrumentalist Cheflee on bass and electronics, along with Morgan Harrison on piano.
Saracens is the fictitious story of a boy caught in the middle of a holy war. Matanda, along with his collaborators, will present this tale as a tone poem, blending sounds of American folk, Afro-Peruvian percussion and vocalization. The performance will present as an immersive experience akin to that of a speakeasy or work-song, with touches of movement borrowed from the theatrical stage.
Artist Profiles
Matanda - percussion/vocals: Oakland born, Brooklyn-based multimedia artist Matanda (formerly known as Matanda Keyes) is a jazz-trained percussionist whose work develops around sculpture. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, he is now blending folk, world music, and alt/indie rock sounds. Matanda's newborn multi-disciplinary project, Parsody, aims to explore the relationship between music and physical objects.
Recently, he designed jewelry for Madonna's worldwide "Celebration Tour", and he has been asked to supply pieces for Zayn Malik (formerly of One Direction).
Matanda breathes through sound, and his brand of such is personally coined, “Alternative World Music." You can learn more about this eclectic artist on his website.
Cheflee - bass/electronics: Cheflee is a multi instrumentalist from Oakland California that draws on inspiration from artists such as Egbert Gismonti, George Clinton, Radiohead and OutKast. He loves.
Morgan Harrison is a Pianist, Saxophonist, Singer, Composer, Arranger, and Bandleader from Sacramento, CA.Currently studying in San Francisco, at the Conservatory of Music, Morgan is seeking to find new ways to blend old and new musics and put his spin on things, creating something that is unseen as of yet.He takes inspiration from bands like The Chick Corea Elektric Band, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, and others such as Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Daft Punk, Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Jaco Pastorius, and many more.