Àbáse Laroyê

On a quest for global grooves of unity, Àbáse is the imagination of Hungarian producer and multi-instrumentalist Szabolcs Bognár. Creating an exquisite blend of West African, Brazilian, hip-hop, new-soul and jazz music, he is set to release his debut album ‘Laroyê’ on the 5th November via Oshu Records.

Having already gained support from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson, Worldwide FM, Stamp The Wax, Earmilk, Complex, Soulection, Nabihah Iqbal and Kexp, Àbáse released his long anticipated debut EP ‘Invocation’ in 2019 via HHV Records and Cosmic Compositions and earlier this year, released the critically acclaimed ‘Body Mind Spirit’ EP, a collaborative electronic exploration with drummer/producer Ziggy Zeitgeist.

The word “àbáse” comes from the West African Yoruba language and stands for “collaboration” – a key element of Àbáse’s music, as he brings together versatile artists from around the world to push genre and style boundaries.

‘Laroyê’ was recorded in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador where Àbáse spent five months working with diverse artists, from young talents to veterans of the Brazilian scene including Letieres Leite, Luciane Dom, Dofono d’Omolu, Afrojazz and more. “Despite already leading and managing musical projects that are close to my hearth, I always felt that one day I would like to start a solo project, where I could take full responsibility for the artistic direction and the music would reflect a truly personal vision. In 2017, I decided to take five months to fulfil a childhood dream and travel to Brazil to expand my creative horizon and expose myself to new influences.”

Mainly recorded with a Zoom recorder in tiny apartments rather than the usual big studio set-up, the album serves as an audio diary of a travelling musician, exploring the rich heritage of afro-brasilian culture through samba, MPB and Candomblé. Mixing these with contemporary production techniques, broken beat, hip hop and afrobeat, the album is a contemporary homage to the classic Brazilian sound. From the samba rhythms of ‘Oya’ and bass-heavy, afro-brazilian ‘Agangatolú’, to the tight grooves and funky riffs of ‘Awo Osanyin’ and funk carioca-inspired ‘Guetto’ (Sou Favela), Àbáse takes us on a beautiful and soulful journey across his debut album. “Through its organic diversity I hope it will attract a broad range of audience. I would like to create a project that is faithfully showcasing the deep beauty of African heritage in Brazil while combining it with contemporary elements, further contributing to the artistic dialogue of seemingly distant cultures.”

As a trained keyboard player, Bognár has been active in the versatile music scene of Budapest for many years. He’s been leading several successful acts, including Solqlap Budapest and The Mabon Dawud Republic, a fourteen piece afrobeat orchestra hosting Felabration Budapest and guest-starring the likes of Dele Sosimi and Pat Thomas. After residencies in Paris, Lyon, New York, Rio De Janeiro and Salvador, Àbáse is now based in Berlin, where besides pursuing his solo career, he is also the keyboard player for Nigerian soul singer Wayne Snow and Australian jazz drummer Ziggy Zeitgeist’s Freedom Energy Exchange.