For one night only, Hastings gets treated to a one off collaboration with Paris/Berlin based piano virtuoso Aron Ottignon (Blue Note France) and Wellington based drummer & composer Myele Manzanza (First Word Records, Sound Signature).
Expect a mix of African dance rhythms, European flair and an anything-goes jazz exploration as these two maestros’ take the Hastings Community Arts Centre by storm!
Aron Ottignon writes hits, collaborates and listens. Mixing jazz, roots, Caribbean, Afro-beats and more, his world of music defies a Universal label.
Re-gaining artistic independence in 2018, the prodigious pianist has found time for a prolific work load producing, composing and engineering an EP every six months (or that’s his plan) from his Berlin studio, in between collaborations with World Music and Afro-beat superstars.
These include celebrated Senegalese percussionist Bakane Seck (featuring Grammy nominee Baaba Maal from Black Panther), and Puerto Rico based ÌFÉ – with a single to be released this spring, FYI.
From his native New Zealand to Kreuzberg, Aron has made waves in Europe, touring with WoodKid, writing with Stromae, and also literally making an EP called Waves, which was picked up by Blue Note (along with other releases The Nile and Team Aquatic).
If you can’t find him touring his latest show (alongside 4 musicians, 2 percussionists, and a drummer), then look for his latest news and EPs on the usual social channels, or via www.aronottignon.com.
Myele Manzanza is the son of a Congolese master percussionist, born and raised in NZ listening to hip hop, jazz and dance music, as an artist Myele brings an eclectic style and diverse skill to his craft to create a genre bending experience rooted in jazz and african rhythm which has earned him a reputation as a composer with vision, a musician who is not afraid to experiment and a powerful drummer.
As a drummer and a sideman he continues to tour internationally and collaborate with a broad range of artists across multiple genres including Theo Parrish, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Ross McHenry, The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Amp Fiddler, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Ria Hall, Marcus Strickland, Recloose, Sorceress, Jordan Rakei and countless others. Find out more at www.myelemanzanza.com.
