ALICE and Musikhuset København invites you for a special and eclectic night with dreamy Japanese folk and desert blues from Northern Niger.

Ichiko Aoba has released several albums in Japan, but it wasn’t until last year’s stunning “Windswept Adan” that she truly caught the ears of Western listeners. Taking inspiration directly from her own dreams, Ichiko Aoba weaves together a surreal and mesmerizing blend of psychedelic folk, ambient, impressionist classical music and jazz. Simple and beautiful on the surface but with deep and mysterious layers that draws the listener in. We are looking very much forward to a Danish show by this incredible musician – fans of anything from Vashti Bunyan and Tim Buckley to Cocteau Twins and Midori Takada should definitely not miss this.

Hailing from the town of Agadez, which is known as “the gateway to the desert”, Etran de L’Aïr captures the pulse of everyday life at weddings, baptisms, political events, outdoor soirees alike. Etran’s brand of Sahara blues deviates with its use of three guitars instead of two, sounding more live-wired and unfettered than any of their peers. Operating on a headstrong grassroots level, these stars of the air stand at the vanguard of innovation, drawing more from artists like Oumou Sangaré and Ali Farka Touré than the established Tuareg ensembles. Their debut album from 2018 – a rough and charming document recorded on a cell phone – made Amanda Petrusich from The New Yorker such a devoted fan, that she labelled it the album of the year. In 2021 the band will finally release a new album and embark on a European tour that also brings them to Copenhagen!