Okavango
Multiple instruments, ten languages, and seven countries make Okavango African Orchestra, the winner of the 2017 JUNO Award for World Music Album.
Okavango
Multiple instruments, ten languages, and seven countries make Okavango African Orchestra, the winner of the 2017 JUNO Award for World Music Album.
The Okavango African Orchestra, founded by the Batuki Music Society in Toronto, features eight accomplished African-born musicians now residing in Toronto and Montreal: Daniel Nebiat (krar, vocals), Kofi Ackah (percussion, vocals), Tichaona Maredza (nyunga-nyunga, guitar, hosho, vocals), Sadio Sissokho (kora, tama, djembe, vocals), Ebenezer Agyekum (bass guitar, vocals), Aron NItunga (guitar, vocals), Assane Seck (guitar, vocals), and Mabinty Sylla (dance).
The orchestra’s name, “Okavango,” is inspired by the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where diverse animal species coexist due to shared resources in a challenging environment. Similarly, the Okavango African Orchestra unites musicians from historically unconnected African cultures, creating a new musical language. They harmonize different tuning systems, rhythms, and timbres, representing a continuum of traditions from ancient to modern times, reflecting Canada’s multicultural spirit.
The orchestra has performed at prestigious venues and events, including Glenn Gould Studio, Koerner Hall, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto Jazz Festival, and more. They recorded their debut self-titled album at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, winning the 2017 JUNO Award for World Music Album of the Year. Their second album, “Africa Without Borders,” was released in 2019.
As they continue their journey, the Okavango African Orchestra aims to transcend borders and embrace a vision of “Africa without borders… before the borders were created.”
The Okavango African Orchestra, founded by the Batuki Music Society in Toronto, features eight accomplished African-born musicians now residing in Toronto and Montreal: Daniel Nebiat (krar, vocals), Kofi Ackah (percussion, vocals), Tichaona Maredza (nyunga-nyunga, guitar, hosho, vocals), Sadio Sissokho (kora, tama, djembe, vocals), Ebenezer Agyekum (bass guitar, vocals), Aron NItunga (guitar, vocals), Assane Seck (guitar, vocals), and Mabinty Sylla (dance).
The orchestra’s name, “Okavango,” is inspired by the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where diverse animal species coexist due to shared resources in a challenging environment. Similarly, the Okavango African Orchestra unites musicians from historically unconnected African cultures, creating a new musical language. They harmonize different tuning systems, rhythms, and timbres, representing a continuum of traditions from ancient to modern times, reflecting Canada’s multicultural spirit.
The orchestra has performed at prestigious venues and events, including Glenn Gould Studio, Koerner Hall, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto Jazz Festival, and more. They recorded their debut self-titled album at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, winning the 2017 JUNO Award for World Music Album of the Year. Their second album, “Africa Without Borders,” was released in 2019.
As they continue their journey, the Okavango African Orchestra aims to transcend borders and embrace a vision of “Africa without borders… before the borders were created.”
“It’s obvious that Okavango respects the continent’s myriad musical traditions. It’s in the glorious mix of rhythms in their songs,”
Errol Nazareth, Toronto Sun