Burkina Electric is an electronic music group from Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. They are one of Africa's first electronic acts.[1] Despite the group's African origins, they are mostly based in New York City.[2] They were formed in 2007 when Maï Lingani (vocals), Wende K. Blass (guitar), Kurt Dahlke (electronics), and Lukas Ligeti (drummer) created the band for a tour of Austria. Lingani and Blass are from Burkina Faso, Dahlke (also known as Pyrolator) is from Düsseldorf, Germany, and Ligeti is from Austria.[3] They released an EP called "Reem Tekre" in 2007 on the Atatak label.[4] The group contributed live music to the ballet "Itutu", which debuted in 2009 and was performed by Karole Armitage's company Armitage Gone! Dance.[5] Their first full-length album, Paspanga, was released in early 2010.[4] It was described as "fierce" by Richard Gehr in Spin,[6] and as "a sleek, kinetic album" by Nate Chinen.[7]

Burkina Electric
OriginOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
GenresElectronic music
Years active2007 (2007)-present
LabelsCantaloupe Music
MembersLukas Ligeti, Maï Lingani, Wende Blass, Kurt Dahlke, Wendy, Zoko Zoko

Discography

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  • Reem Tekre EP (2007, Atatak)
  • Paspanga (2010, Cantaloupe)

References

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  1. ^ Kertzer, Jon (26 January 2010). "Burkina Electric: 21st-Century African Music". NPR. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. ^ Kertzer, Jon (27 December 2010). "5 New African Bands That Ruled In 2010". NPR. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. ^ Fader, Lainna (22 September 2011). "Music Picks: Ravi Shankar, Marilyn Scott, Duran Duran, Burkina Electric". LA Weekly. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  4. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Burkina Electric Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  5. ^ Milzoff, Rebecca (25 October 2009). "Ballet Electric". New York Magazine. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  6. ^ Gehr, Richard (April 2010). "Burkina Electric: Paspanga". Spin. p. 85. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  7. ^ Chinen, Nate (10 January 2010). "New CDs". New York Times. Retrieved 12 December 2014.