Primary Instrument: Band/ensemble/orchestra
Guitarist en composer Niels Brouwer and vocalist Monica Akihary are the core of Boi Akih, which began in 1996.The duo has developed a distinctive repertoire for the ensemble, one in which cultural roots - musical traditions from the Moluccas, Sunda and Bali, Dutch (European) jazz and improvised music, classical Indian music and traditional African music - form the basis for composition, free improvisation and text. Boi Akih has grown into an ensemble with a striking sound and its very own unmistakable musical idiom.
The search for its ‘own’ roots has led to Boi Akih’s unique sound. Sound exploration, compositional forms, improvisation and performance have been essential facets from the very beginning. The development of Monica Akihary’s and Niels Brouwer’s distinctive vocal and guitar styles have given sounds and elements from various musical traditions a new meaning within the national and international music world.
Boi Akih is becoming increasingly well known internationally. The media has been full of praise for their concerts. The Norwegian Jazznytt wrote: ‘ Through a movingly pure musical journey we experienced all the essential elements of being human, an artistic antidote to the din which surrounds us in our daily life.” The French newspaper (Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace):” The simple is connected in a light-hearted manner to the complex, presenting unexpected moments in which the disparate audience felt as one.”
Boi Akih proofs, yet again, with Circles in a Square Society, their versatility and demonstrates convincingly that it is impossible to label them. The musicians move effortlessly from jazz to pop to world music and improvisation. Boi Akih succeeds afresh with each production to distinguish themselves through their engaging and unique musical style, in which boundaries between musical genres fade away or are actually ingeniously interwoven.
