Kalaha creates a festive mosaic of the best of all worlds

In addition to being an extremely captivating and energetic live band, Kalaha is known for being eternally exploratory in their search for musical frontiers and geographical spectra.

Consisting of the drummer Emil de Waal, electronic musician Rumpistol, guitarist Niclas Knudsen (Ibrahim Electric) and bass player Anders Stig Møller, Kalaha has managed to create a completely unique universe somewhere between world, jazz and electronic music and with the inclusion of Turkish singer Hilal Kaya on vocals, they’ve also gained a good grip on the Turkish audiences. 

Kalaha is known for setting dance floors on fire and bringing the audience into a trance, triggering the listener to dance with the head just as much as the heart.

As a listener, one moment you are on a whirlwind car chase through the bazaar of Istanbul, and the next you soar into the cosmic eternity of space, then land in a dusty village in Mali.

Elements from psychedelic rock and improvised jazz to Anatolian funk and acid techno have been part of Kalaha’s sound since the beginning in 2013 and It comes as no surprise that their albums not only gather constant acclaim in among vinyl connoisseurs, but have also brought a Danish Music Award and a Carl Prize as well as several other nominations.

In 2021 Kalaha released ‘Mystafa’ which included genres such as Brazilian samba, Turkish 70s music, African highlife and desert blues, as well as Nordic vibes on songs with guest features from local psych-rock king Uffe Lorenzen and folk singer Hjalte Ross.

The band have headlined Copenhagen Jazz Festival in a collaboration with the legendary bass player and producer Bill Laswell (US) and they’ve also played festivals like Boomtown (UK), Psy Fi (NL) and Jarasum (South Korea) among many other places. 

In August, 2022, the band’s 5th album “Tutku” will be released. It is a collaboration with the 20+ person brass band of Aarhus Jazz Orchestra which pays tribute to artists like Barış Manço & Selda Bağcan. Aarhus Jazz Orchestra themselves, a big band committed to continually embracing innovative perspectives on contemporary jazz have really found their match-made-in-heaven pairing with the likeminded visionaries in Kalaha. Kalaha present their ode to Anatolian Rock as well as showcasing a glorious Turkish- and psych-folk aesthetic throughout “Tutku”.

Kalaha consists of:

Niclas Knudsen: guitar & talk box

Emil de Waal: drums & percussion

Jens ‘Rumpistol’ Christiansen: synths & vocals

Anders Stig Møller: bass & laptop

Hilal Kaya: vocals

Press Quotes

“Brilliant Album! Very tropical again! ” – Gilles Peterson / BBC 6 / Worldwide FM (UK)

“The combination of electronic music, hard-hitting jazz and Anatolian music is simply outstanding … Very impressive.” – GAFFA (DK)

“Truly a genre bending performance in the best way possible, music from the future, a flashing stage, and an absolutely mental drummer” – Pouledor (DE)

“Mystafa” is a thrilling all-encompassing adventure that acts as a pure and unadulterated celebration from start to finish. … A staggering accomplishment… Simply a joy to experience. ” – BLUE IN GREEN RADIO (UK)

“Kalaha transport fans into another world” – Earmilk.com (US)

“A wide tapestry of colors that will fill the palette of choice sound selectors. Big on cultural essence & bass rhythms. ” – Jay Scarlett / Sound Supreme, PULS Radio (DE)