Aka Moon - Opus 111

Since their debut in 1992, it has been hard to imagine the Belgian jazz scene without the innovative Aka Moon. Their refreshing approach to jazz gives the trio a highly distinctive sound. Since their first encounter with the Aka Pygmies in 1992, Aka Moon's focus has shifted towards various different African, Indian, Maghrebian, Cuban, Arab, Afro-American and European traditions. The unique place Aka Moon occupies in todays music scene is down to the fact that they, independent of any particular trends, combine art with inspired musical craftsmanship. Aka Moon juggles with polyrhythms and polyphonies like mad DJ's. They slide from one phrase into another, opening up new harmonic and rhythmic paths. As a trio or in larger formations they cross over in a kaleidoscopic and elusive way creating a whirlwind of unclassifiable, transcending and cosmic music. They released more than 20 albums, played in more than 30 countries & worked together with the most virtuoso musicians, choreographers and artists from all over the world. We are happy to welcome them for their very first show with Opus 111. In addition to being one of Beethoven's most emblematic works, the Piano Sonata no.32 op.111 (1821-22) is a manifesto of radical modernity. It begins the process of disintegration of sonata form, a formal pillar for any composer of the preceding century, and introduces in its second movement a new method of constructing the musical phrase, to such an extent that some commentators regard it as marking the first stirrings of jazz. The innovations it presented, particularly in the field of rhythm, left most of the composer's contemporaries perplexed. Here is an ideal space for the Aka Moon trio to occupy. It has called on three strong musical personalities for the occasion: the singer Fredy Massamba, who contributes his expressive power as an African storyteller; the rising star of the Portuguese accordion João Barradas, who adds a flavour of urban modernity with the added feature of playing both acoustic and electronic instruments; and the pianist Fabian Fiorini, a longstanding partner of the trio, who acts as the ‘mirror musician' for Beethoven's sonata. It is through this nexus of meanings with multiple resonances that Fabrizio Cassol approaches Beethoven's sonata, synchronising emotional spaces that rise above periods, cultures and social or aesthetic viewpoints.