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Avant-Garde Music Inspired By Dreams, Outer Space And Parallel Dimensions…

October 07, 2019
Oxaï Roura is a composer of new and very unusual musical forms, a percussionist, a vocalist and a researcher in Ethnomusicology from Guiana (South America) and France. His unique music could be described as an original blend of strange futuristic-electronic sounds, ancient mystical voices and spiritual percussion's from different parts of the world... It could be called "TraDreamZ Music"(traditional music from the dreams)... Oxaï Roura utilizes his music as a spiritual tool which assists in the discovery of hidden things within the inner self. His creations are meant to entertain and bless as well promote the spiritual dimensions of human experience.

Born and raised in a multicultural family of artists poets & musicians, Oxaï Roura began to learn the art of drumming at the young age of three. Fascinated by the ancient sacred African polyrhythms and chants, he received serious teachings from some of the greatest masters of the drums: Famoudou KONATE, Mamady KEÏTA, Maré SANOGO, Soungalo COULIBALY, Adama DRAME, Sega SIDIBE, Cece KOLY taught him Mandingo-Malinke rhythms and chants; and Orlando POLEO & Martha GALARRAGA taught him Yoruba chants and rhythms.

Immersed in learning the traditional ways while at the same time openly interested in varied music styles and genres, Oxaï performed gigs and made recordings with a lot of different kinds of bands (Metal, Reggae, Jazz and Jazz fusion, Salsa, Bossa-Nova, Traditional African music, Electro etc.) during his formative years, thus blending many genres into his musical palette. Moreover, another important aspect of Oxaï Roura’s work consists in traveling the world as an ethnomusicologist (South Africa, Brazil & other parts of South America, Melanesia &  Oceania…) in order to collect different kinds of endangered sonic forms. 

Last but not least, during these ethnomusicological travels Oxaï improves, on one hand, his musical skills & theoretical knowledge with great local artists and, on the other hand, his comprehension of sonic wisdom.

2003."Exu" & "THE EXU EXPERIENCE. Atabaques'N Bass. Vol.1". 
This 1st single & this 1st E.P allowed Oxaï to officialize the birth of a new style he created: the ATABAQUES'N BASS style (a special mix of Afro-Brazilian mystical rhythms and electronic sounds)... Several songs of "The Exu Experience" were used as original soundtracks for innovating Afro-Brazilian choreographies created by different Brazilian choreographers/dancers, such as Andrea Serpa-Rouede (from Rio de Janeiro) & Neguinho (from Bahia). Moreover, the song 'Exu' was included in the soundtrack of a very special ceremony (related to the Unesco World Heritage ) by the Fundaçao Pierre Verger in Bahia, Brazil... 

2006. "SPIRITUAL HERITAGE part.1. SECRETS OF AFRIKA (Live)". 
In this project, Oxaï ROURA, Gustavo OVALLES (Omar Sosa) & Dominique VICCARO (Janysett Mc Pherson) mixed sacred Yoruba chants, Afro-Cuban rhythms and electronic sounds. Together, they worked on new sonic forms invented by Oxaï such as: "Bembelektro, Bembe Dub, Electrolumbia" etc. The result of this creative work is a concert live Dvd; Originally available in South America only, all the songs contained in this Dvd are now on Itunes, Amazon, Youtube etc... 

2008."AFRO AMAZONIAN SPIRIT (Naturosophia)". 
This Album is the first recording of a new musical style Oxaï created and called AFROAMAZONIKA ( a mix of African spiritual rhythms, Amazonian mystical chants & elements from Electronica)... Several songs of this album have been used by dance companies as soundtracks for original choreographies (among them: Azamiah. Urban Contemporary Dance) and movies (like 'Petrushka's journey';, winner of a special European label named “Intercultural Dialogue”)... 

2010-2012. "MELANESIA X". 
This album is an original soundtrack created by Oxaï Roura for "Well'Come!" and “Rù”, two shows performed by the Posuë dance company (New-Caledonia & New-Zealand. South Pacific). “Melanesia X” was created by Oxaï Roura during an artistic residency in the Nganjila Tjibaou Center. It is, in fact, a very unique music which combines textures from the Electronic Outer Space, elements from Abstract Hip-Hop, Dub, Shamanic Colors and Hypnotic Sounds from the Pacific (New-Caledonia, New-Zealand, Papua, Vanuatu...). The whole "Well'come!" show (Music and Dance) was supported by the A.D.C.K Nganjila Tjibaou Center; in fact, it was awarded the "Emergences 2010 prize"; in New Caledonia (during one of the biggest Melanesian cultural events called the Waan Danse Festival)!

2016-2017. "Afro-Himalayan 01: GanEshou". 
"Afro-Himalayan 01: GanEshou" is the 1st musical piece related to a brand new genre/style created by Oxaï Roura and called AFROHIMALAYAN. The spirit of this song could be poetically described like this: When Ganesha meets Eshou Africa Encounters the Himalayas And Then: Everything Becomes Possible… 

2018. “Or1. BACK FROM SIRIUS B (NOMMO). Remastered”. 
Or1 is Oxaï Roura’s side project focused on experimental vocals and new forms of languages. 2018. “America+Europe 21: The Secret Alien Union. Part 01: Defying Gravity” This conceptual project is the fruit of a special collaboration between Oxaï Roura & Steve Osborne (U.S.A). In a nutshell, this project could be described as: Another Time, Another Space, Another Dimension, Another Vision… in other words: rap, slam and spoken words meeting original rhythms & strange electronic sounds! With "Defying Gravity (Experior)" Oxaï Roura & Steve Osborne became the Winners of the “Discover Contest” (organized by The College UnderGround Radio, On December 2018). 2018. “AmericaS+Europe 21. The Secret Alien Union. Part 02. Wrathful". In this song, Steve Osborne’s biblical lyrics intertwine with Oxaï Roura’s quantum percussion and electronic instruments. 4. Oxaï Roura’s Films & Book Between 2009 & 2014 Oxaï directed, produced & released several ethnomusicological documentaries about different subjects such as: South African Shamanism (“Songs Make People Alive!” & “Credo Mutwa’s New Dream”); and Afro-Brazilian Candomble (“Samba Dos Caboclos”). Some of these documentaries are available for everyone on Youtube now. Besides, on June 2017, Oxaï Roura released his first ethnomusicological book called “Musiques rituelles du vodou Haïtien” (in English: “Ritual Music in Haitian Voodoo”). 5. Oxaï Roura’s Works In Progress… 

2017-2019. ATABAQUES N'BASS MEETS JAPAN. This very special project is directly related to Oxaï’s first E.P (“The Exu Experience. Atabaques’N Bass. Vol.1”) and can be described like this: When An Afro-Brazilian Mutant Music Travels To The Land Of The Rising Sun: Atabaques N’Bass Meets Japan!!! 14 years after ‘The Exu Experience’ (which gave birth to some strange & surprising results), The Atabaques N’Bass style is back!!! Now the time has come for a new type of experience: a strange encounter between Japanese anime films, sacred Afro-Brazilian rhythms & electronic sounds! It is happening now on the Internet… So: Get Ready For The Unpredictable… 

2019. Oxaï Roura & Sawani Makan. Ago Guiana 01 21. Free Sacred Afro-Amazonian Music For 2 Voices & 3 Drums. Live in Cayenne. In this project: no electricity & no electronic sounds! Only drums, voices and improvisations performed by Oxaï Roura & Sawani Makan (Founder of a new martial art called Djokan)… 6. Oxaï Roura’s Future Projects Oxaï Roura is now working with several artists from different parts of the world (such as Africa, South America, Europe…) on several innovative projects. Different original pieces of art are now being created. For example, Oxaï is now collaborating with a poet/writer named Cassandra Swan from the U.K. Together they are creating a thrilling- and, probably, one of a kind piece of art- called “The Black Rook Of Hiroshima”.

Though he was featured in recently released Lifoti's September 2019 issue 09, you can check it from below link's for your country:

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