KUTU
Hypnotic grooves, acrobatic vocals and smooth moves
Razor-sharp staccato harmony full of rapturous tones played to brilliant dance beats and booming bass lines, with an electric violin that howls across everything like a disruptive siren. That’s the signature sound of the Ethiopian-French outfit KUTU, who wouldn’t be out of place at Lowlands but, instead, are performing at Music Meeting. Violinist and composer Théo Ceccaldi, a celebrated classical and jazz musician in his own country, is the musical mastermind behind KUTU. The now-legendary Ethiopiques record collection of historical recordings aroused his interest in today’s Ethiopian music scene, so in 2019 he travelled to Addis Ababa. There he met the singer Hewan Gebrewold who, with her acrobatic vocals and supple moves, is now the Ethiopian figurehead of the band. The deep pulsating bass is the work of Théo’s brother Valentin, who forms the rhythm section with percussionist Cyril Atef. Akemi Fujimori-Poivre mixes with her keyboards precisely the right cocktail that makes the sound so hypnotic. In Ethiopia the band is affectionately viewed as a sort of UFO on account of its almost extra-terrestrial sound.
