STANDARDBANKOVATIONAWARD2015winners

OttomanSlapbringsMiddleEastern/BalkanfusiontoCapeTown.

“[OttomanSlap]willhealyourwounds,allayyoursorrowsandincreaseyourjoyastheyadministerweirdandwonderfulmusic,originatinginthesouloffolkmusiciansandtravellerstoandfrommanycountries,beitEasternEurope,AndalusianSpain,Algeriaor,yes,theCape…andmadeittheirown…Theyhaven’tclimbedonanybandwagon–theyarethebandwagon.”ReviewbyNigelVermaasinCueMagazine“IwastransfixedandmesmerisedandeverycellinmybodywasrejuvenatedbyyourArt–whoneedsanti-oxidants!“-HeatherYoung–OttomanSlapbandlaunch,CapeTown,July2013“Fantastic.Ilovemadenthusiasmsinallshapesandforms–andthiswaswonderful.”-Gillian,AlexanderBarShow,CapeTown,February2015“ThatwasoneofthebestlivemusiceventsIhaveattended,andI'veseenmany!Welldoneforanimpeccableperformance.”-Sunanda,AlexanderBarShow,CapeTown,February2015"Witharangeofeclecticsounds,exoticinstrumentsandforeigngenresfusedintooneuniqueflavour,OttomanSlapisa6-manworld-musiccollectiveunlikeanyotherbandinSouthAfricaandtheirdebutalbumIdiomaticistestamenttothat."Texxandthecityalbumreview:http://texxandthecity.com/2015/10/ottoman-slap-idiomatic

"...OttomanSlapfeelasiftheyhavebeenpluckedstraightfromtheMiddleEast,witharawenergythatmakestheirdebutalbumrefreshinglyunique.”"OttomanSlap’smusicisculturedasitisexotic,notforitsorigins,butratherbecauseofitsuniqueness.Thealbumisamelodiccelebrationofthisforeignness,awelcomingadditiontotheSouthAfricanmusicscene.”SAmusicscenereviewbyAlexandraLezichttp://samusicscene.co.za/wp/album-review-ottoman-slap-idiomatic/THEBANDCapeTown-basedOttomanSlapwillhealyourwounds,allayyoursorrowsandsootheyoursoulastheyweavetheirmusic,originatinginthesoulofitinerantfolkmusiciansandtravellers.TheireclecticmusicalofferingincludestraditionalpiecesandadaptationsoffolksongsfromplacessuchasRomania,AndalusiaandAlgeria,aswellasoriginalcompositionsinfluencedbyBalkanandMiddleEasternmusic,withmesmerisingTribalFusionbellydanceasthehighlight.TheystrikearesonancebetweenlocalandglobalmusicbyweavingtogetherMiddleEasternandCaperhythmsalongwithvocalsinSpanish,RomaandAfrikaans.Instruments include saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, saw, mandolin, guitar, accordion, double bass, darbuka, daf, riq, cajón, zils and castanets.Itisafascinatingfusionofworldstylesand,importantly,anintegrationofdanceandmusic,drawingonthemesofculturalmovement,rootlessnessandrestlessness.InthewordsofOttomanSlappercussionistJamesvanMinnen:“Thebandformedaroundourpassionforwhatisconsideredexoticmusic.Althoughitmayseemcounter-intuitivetobeplayingMiddle-Eastern,BalkanandMediterranean-inspiredmusicinSouthofAfrica,forsomereason,thereissomethingintheseculturesthatwefeelathomewithandwhichfeelslikeaverynaturalstylisticformofexpressionforus.TheseartisticstylesandculturearedeeplyembeddedinmanythingsweintheWesternworldconsideras‘normal’,‘domestic’or‘native’.Thisuniqueblendofmusicanddanceisafeastforthesenses,simultaneouslysheddingnewlightontraditionalcultureandfindingcommonroots.OTTOMANSLAPAREMatthewReid: saxophoneandclarinetDougArmstrong: trumpetandguitarSimonéChiara: leadvocals,guitarandpercussionMarissaCuenoud: TribalFusionbellydance,accordionandpercussionCallanWolff: doublebassandsawJamesvanMinnen: mandolin,percussionandhybriddrumkit

GENREWorld,Folk,MiddleEastern/BalkanfusionSOUNDSLIKEAHawkandaHacksaw,BeirutMEMBERSBIOGRAPHYMarissaCuénoud:accordion,percussion,danceMarissaformsthevisualandchoreographicbackboneofOttomanSlap.Adancerfirstandforemost,sheplaysaccordionaswellaspercussioninOttomanSlap.SheisthedirectorofSomaFusionBellydanceCompany,basedinCapeTown.HerdancecareerhasseenhertravelextensivelyinEuropeandpartsofAfricatoperform,includingNigeria(fortheEgyptianpopiconHakim),Switzerland(forPaléoFestival2012),France,ItalyandtheUK.ShehasalsobeenflownabroadtoperformforprivatefunctionsinMoroccoandSeychelles.HerdreamofperformingdancewithlivemusichascometofruitionwithOttomanSlap.SimonéChiara:leadvocals,percussionSimoné,theleadvocalistinOttomanSlap,isheavilyinfluencedbytraditionalsingingstyles,inparticularflamencocante,aformwhichsheiscurrentlystudyingthroughtheEscueladeCarmenAmayainMadrid.SheisfluentinSpanishandhascontributedlyricsandvocalarrangementstomanyofouroriginalsongs.Shealsoplaystheguitar,castanetsandframedruminOttomanSlap.JamesvanMinnen:mandolin,percussion,hybriddrumkitJamesisanaccomplishedpercussionistanddrummer.InOttomanSlap,heplaysdrums,MiddleEasternpercussionandtheoddflourishofmandolin.Playingprofessionallysince2000,JameshasplayedinvariousothermusicalprojectsinAfrica,EuropeandJapan,includingMeanBlackMamba,AndrewJames&TheSteadyTiger,HotWaterandSirenaRiley.OttomanSlapisattheheartofJames’creativepassion,andtodate,iswherehehasenjoyedthemostopportunitiesascomposerandco-director.CallanWolff:doublebass,musicalsawCallanisanexperiencedmulti-instrumentalistwithadistincttasteforthequirkyandunusual,alwaysopentoanythingnewhecanaurallychew.Callanisversatileinmanystylesandhasperformedwithothergroupssuchas(CardiganBuzz,FlyPaperJet,ScarletHostandPravda).InOttomanSlaphefeaturesonBertha,thedoublebass(andbellsandwhistles).HeisdoinghisMastersattheSchoolofLife,majoringintheunderlyingphysicsbehindthefusionofsub-melodiesandsolidgrooves.DougArmstrong:trumpet,guitarDougisacomposer,producer,educatorandmulti-instrumentalist.DuringhisyearsofactivityontheCapeTownmusicsceneandbeyondhehasperformedandcomposedinavarietyofmusicstyles–jazz,hiphop,pop,rock,reggae,countryANDwestern!HerecentlyjoinedOttomanSlaponthetrumpet,thereby

establishingtheband’sdistinctivesounding‘horingseksie’.Dougisalsoproducingtheband’sforthcomingalbum.MatthewReid:clarinet,saxophoneClarinetistandsaxophonistMatthewReidcomesfromDurban,wherehisfirstlessonswerewithWernerDannewitz.HeattainedhisHonoursdegreefromUCTwithLeslieCravenandcompletedapostgraduatecourseattheRoyalCollegeofMusicinLondon.HehasadiplomainOrchestralStudies(DipNCOS)fromGoldsmithsCollegeinGreenwich.HewontheSASOLandOudeMeesterPrizesforinstrumentalistsin1986andstudiedwithAlfredPrinzinVienna,GuyDeplusinParisandJohnMcCawinLondon.HepremieredandrecordedPeterKlatzow’sClarinetConcertowiththeCapeTownSymphonyOrchestrain1992,andhisSonatawithPietervanZyl.MatthewperformedextensivelywithpianistPietervanZylwinningthe2008KannaAwardattheKKNKforclassicalmusic.HeperformedwiththeSontongaStringQuartetattheArtsFestivalsinGrahamstown,CapeTown,FranschhoekandtheStellenboschInternationalChamberMusicFestival,givingthefirstperformancesofOswaldoGolijov’sextraordinary"DreamsandPrayersofIsaactheBlind"inthiscountry.HewasthemusicdirectoroftheannualYiddishSongFestivalintheBaxterTheatreforelevenyears.