A new festival focusing on female jazz and experimental artists is happening in Dublin this month

A play on ‘bean’, the Irish word for woman, BAN BAM is an exciting new festival event which heralds a longer term initiative by Improvised Music Company (IMC) to highlight female musicians playing jazz, improvised and experimental music, while supporting and empowering the wider scene and next generation through a variety of activities in 2018 and beyond.

Kicking off with some late afternoon panels and discussions from 4pm, BAN BAM looks at the issues surrounding the gender imbalance within the Irish jazz scene, examining studies around unconscious bias, how gender-based social conventions influence choice of instrument, the long standing stereotypes of jazz, early music education and the role of promoters and media in addressing a gender imbalance in the wider world of live music. Our esteemed panelists include British composer Issie Barratt renowned for her high profile work in jazz education, Broadcaster and musician Ellen Cranitch and Angela Dorgan from First Music Contact.

From 7pm til late, BAN BAM presents a vibrant programme of live music at The Complex, headlined by London-based Afrobeat band-of-the-moment KOKOROKO.
KOKOROKO (meaning 'be strong' in Urhobo) is a London collective of musicians led by a stonking all female horn section embodying the BAN-BAM ‘chicks with chops’ ethos. They will let loose with their original brand of brass-fuelled rhythms steeped in an urban London attitude. Ruba Shamshoum’s music mixes the harmony and improvised playfulness of jazz, with tinges of her native Middle Eastern and Arabic musical influence, creating a distinctive and vibrant sound in the company of a 4 piece band.

One of BAN BAMs highlights is our specially commissioned collaboration between two of our most innovative and accomplished contemporary musicians - pianist Izumi Kimura and violinist Cora Venus Lunny, who will premiere new music together for our inaugural BAN BAM event. Also on the bill is Polish-born, Dublin-based producer, composer singer and multimedia artist Dorota Konczewska whose distinct sound blends electronic soundscapes with beats, atmospheric melodies and traditional instrumentation. No stranger to experimentation, her instruments comprise of custom-built electronic synths and patches allowing her to chop up beats and record live loops.

Recently returned to her native West Cork after a decade playing in downtown New York, saxophonist, improviser and composer Catherine Sikora has worked regularly with Eric Mingus, Enrique Haneine, Brian Chase,Stanley Zappa, Christopher Culpo and Ross Hammond, as well as actively pursuing solo performance, with her debut solo album released last year to high praise from international jazz critics.

BAN BAM will take place on November 25 at The Complex, Dublin 7. Tickets €20/25

All details at improvisedmusic.ie