Radiokijada, an Austrian Peruvian collaboration between the traditional and the electronic introduces us to the unique percussive rhythms from the kijada, the skeletal jaw of a donkey. It’s the work of Goton Project’s Christoph H Muller alongside Peruvian composer and percussionist Rodolfo Munoz. that stems from Peruvian creole music, developed when the Spanish brought the African slaves to Peru. We’re left with this intriguing fusion where traditional folk instrumentation meets subtle electronics with the occasional deep graveled vocals. It’s quite a varied offering, you can hear hints of flamenco, even tango combined with these Afro rhythms. Even the vocals vary from the aforementioned gruff almost spoken word to that of a highly produced female chanteuse that seems like it should be coming from another album entirely, or even the occasional heavily delayed whisper. What really sets this music apart though is the donkey jaw percussion, though it seems like the ultimate world music gimmick it’s used here at times like a feature, and it really does provide a distinctive, almost rattling shudder to the percussion hits. It’s this element that keeps a raw charm to music that’s in danger of being a little too polished for its own good.
Bob Baker Fish
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