The wonderful and subtle voice of Moluccan vocalist Monica Akihary in collaboration with the compositions of virtuoso guitarist Niels Brouwer characterizes the typical sound of Boi Akih. Their cooperation date back to 1995. In 1997 they release their debut cd 'Boi Akih' followed by ' Above the clouds, Among the roots' in 2000 . Both CD's were extremely well received.
In september 2003, ENJA Records released the third album of Boi Akih, 'UWA I' (only for the Netherlands, World wide relaese is planed for feb 2004). It is the first album on which Akihary sings exclusively in the Haruku language, her father’s mother tongue.
The source of inspiration for the new CD, ‘UWA I’ (images) was their intensive music study in Bangalore (India) in 2002, where Akihary en Brouwer immersed in South Indian classical music. Expanding their musical horizon for the album UWA I, Akihary and Brouwer teamed up with great Indian tabla player Sandip Bhattacharya and Dutch cello wizzard Ernst Reijseger.
Compositions based on Jazz and Improvised music are intertwined in the South and North Indian Classical music and the traditional music of the Moluccan Islands (Indonesia). The rhythm section was disconcerted from the traditional western bass/drum idiom.The use of cello and tabla creates room for the improvisation, in which different musical traditions all come together.
The combination between the European (Dutch) Indian and Moluccan culture, jazz and improvised music gives Boi Akih a distinctive feature which is unique in the cultural landscape; guitar, cello, tabla and vocals create an attractive landscape full of ambiance. Due to Boi Akih’s different cultural backround and the characteristic music they create, Boi Akih’s style appeals to the jazz, world and classical music audience.
