Bonaparte reach Africa
If there is one feature that has never changed in the course of Bonaparte’s history, it is their utter unpredictability. “Was mir passiert” is the title of their new album, their seventh. It is released in the GSA territories on 14 June via Sony Music. The rather German-sounding title gives no indication whatsoever of the latest twist in a constantly direction-shifting history.
Bonaparte are the hydra-like brainchild of Berlin-based Swiss producer and songwriter Tobias Jundt, originally active in Switzerland in various guises as a producer and singer of sometimes quirky, always catchy electronica dance tunes, he founded Bonaparte after a move to Berlin. In their earlier guise, Bonaparte were a large and circus-like troupe of multi-tasking musicians who played to huge audiences on the European continent. Two years ago, Jundt, following rave reports of a friend of life in Abidjan, went on an exploratory trip to the Ivory Coast and was instantly smitten. Many more trips to Africa followed. “Was mir passiert” is a record of the resulting adventures in more senses than one.
Amongst the guest artists appearing on this album are the twice Grammy-nominated Malian singer, Fatoumata Diawara, Bop de Narr, a rapper from the Ivory Coast, and several other young artists from West Africa. No less surprising is the presence of the much-travelled Swiss Sophie Hunger, given their hitherto so disparate respective musical styles. Also present are Farin Urlaub and Bela B., members of one of Germany’s biggest and best-loved bands, Die Ärzte.
Bonaparte will celebrate the album release with 17-dates (so far) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland later in the year. The band will include a number of musicians involved in the recording of the album.
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