Controlling the Swing @Holland Festival

Holland Festival 

Looking back 

by Bas Springer, July 2017

Controlling the Swing

One of the highlights of the jubilee edition was the world premiere of Controlling The Swing through the formation Boi Akih, as part of 'A Night in Indonesia' on June 16 in Paradiso. This new composition of guitarist Niels Brouwer was performed by the duo Boi Akih with Ryoko Imai (Marimba, Percussion), Tobias Klein (bass clarinet, contra bsas clarinet and guest musicians from Indonesia, including the Moluccan ( Ambon City) poet and peace activist Rudi Fofid

Full dedication

The relationship between love and hatred is central to Controlling The Swing. Impressively, traditional and contemporary music, acoustic and electronic, was melting together in the packed Small Hall of Paradiso, where the sweat was on the backs of the visitors, so hot it was. Rarely did I hear Monica Akihary singing so well – pitch perfect and full dedication. Her partner Niels Brouwer and the other accompanists brought out the best in each other. The thunderous applause at the end was therefore perfectly correct.