Artists
who's who and who's doing what?Black Heritage Orchestra feat MFA Kera & Mike Russell
Line up
- Famson Akinola (percussion)
- Joe Di Carlo (drums)
- MFA Kera ( voice, composer)
- Mike Russell (guitar, vocal)
- Reinhard Katemann (piano, keyboard, arrangeur, composer)
- Sir Charles Williamson (bass)
- country:Madagascar
- region:Southern Africa
- style(s):Afro Soul
- label:Stride
- type:Band, Composer/Songwriter
- gender:male, female
- instrumentation:instrumental, vocal
- artist submitted by:
Black Heritage Orchestra
& United Gospel Voices
feat. MFA Kera & Mike Russell
Soul Gospel Afrobeat Blues Funk HipHop Jazz
Of Creole extraction, exceptional vocalist and composer MFA KERA was born in Madagascar and grew up in Senegal. ."Imagine Sarah Vaughan, Grace Jones, Shirley Bassey & Ima Sumac mixed into one African singer, and then you'll get an idea of the depth of the talent of MFA KERA. One must see her live performance to definitely appreciate her energy and Charisma. "After moving to Paris, she began her professional career singing the Blues and Gospel, linking with Memphis Slim and working with such luminaries as Mickey Baker, John Lee Hooker and Milton Buckner. She performs a tribute to Mahalia Jackson in the film "the Adventure of Jazz". KERA also ventured into the pop arena with a number of funk oriented releases as well as a remarkable first Afro-Project with composer Wazis Diop on RCA. A spell in Los Angeles exposed her to the work of other African and Asiatic musicians and this influenced her decision to go to Berlin via Japan in search in sympathetic world- music projects.
Still in contact with friends such as Miriam Makeba, Salif Keita or Manu Dibango pursues her own style of cultural fusion already identified by her as "Ethno-Techno-Pan- African sphere" in the '80's, using her gifts in the complementary areas of writing, composing, painting and singing. Long term collaboration with German electronic composer and arranger, Reinhard Katemann, and master drummers like Ekow Alabi Savage and Souleymane Toure brought then a fantastic synthesis she called "Heavy-Wood-Music", on the market.
Later on she formed the "Black Heritage Orchestra" working with US Jazzman Mike Russell, telling the story of black music in music from Ethnic-African music through Blues, Afro-beat, Salsa, Gospel, Reggae, Jazz, Funk and Rap). With the help of Berliner Senate KERA then wrote and produced the musical play "Odeylo" from the repertoire of the "Black Heritage": the Story of Mama Africa. Part of the soundtrack of this very successful musical was released on CD (feat. late Eddy Harris) which stayed one year long in the world music charts( between place 8 & 9 of 110 releases).
While in South Africa with Black Heritage, she recorded with AIRTO MOREA and the South African All-stars. She composes, writes, produces, paints and also holds workshops voice & singing workshops ("how to breathe, sound &sing") worldwide. She also produced her own radio show & just created the "Universal Gospel Voices" Ensemble, "performing the Good News". Black Heritage Orchestra is constantly performing in Europe and abroad (e.g. South Africa , were KERA did some recordings with Airto Morera and the South African Allstars, or recently in the US). MFA KERA is also producing the Kera's journey' presenting an astonishing flirt of the African music with rock and classical music.
MFA KERA worked for the publishing company "Klett" by composing songs in French for the use in schools. CD and booklet with songs and play- back: Klett Verlag, Collection Paroles & Musique 3-12-523-114.0 Concert at the prestigious "Kennedy Centre" in Washington D.C. - the video is available world-wide via Internet. Recently Kera made a journey to China and brought back recordings with artists and percussionists from Mongolia.
Fantastic success also in Salvador da Bahia where MFA Kera played at the festival "Femadum" with Olodum. She was also the guest of stars like Carlinhos Brown. Black Heritage Orchestra performed for the Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and was also invited to sing for the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Johannes Rau at his last "Presidential Summer".
MFA Kera composes, writes, produces, paints and also teaches making workshops worldwide.
FESTIVALS with National televisions where BLACK HERITAGE performed:
Festival international de Nerac, France.
Montreux Jazz Fest. Switzerland
Femadum Festival de Musica e Artes Olodum, Brazil
Leverkusener Jazztage, Germany
Dakar Gore Jazz Fest, Senegal
Guinness Jazzfest Johannesburg, South Africa
Xian Ancient Culture Art Festival, China
Breda Jazz Fest, Netherland
Papahannock Festival, Virginia USA
The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C USA
Jazz nad Odra-Wroclaw, Poland etc.
Discography
2007 STRIDE records
2005 "Afro Soul" BLACK HERITAGE, feat. MFA Kera & Mike Russell is available on: Be1 Two/Fenn (Germany) for most of Europe & Japan, "Qualiton" for the USA and CD BABY.com/blackheritage & Amazon-music.com for the world. Currently the CD is getting airplay in Europe, featuring tracks with guest-artists such as OLODUM, Brasil or Koramaster MESSIN SISSOKHO, Senegal, or a remix with late EDDIE HARRIS is a MUST.
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