Jazz pianist and producer Àbáse and the London-based duo ZENA are hosting a double concert at the Berliner Gretchen on 5 November 2026.
Berlin-based Szabolcs ‘Szabi’ Bognár, known as Àbáse, is renowned for boldly straddling genres and exploring connections between different traditions: in his music, organic sounds meet electronic sounds, whilst traces of folk music from Hungary (where he grew up) blend with Afrobeat and sample-based hip-hop. His concerts are a real mix of surprises – especially as special guests have been announced for this one. The concert is no coincidence, as his new album Nefelejcs is due for release on 6 November.
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Surprise bag, shaken up
ZENA, on the other hand, whilst clearly drawing on Ethiopian musical traditions, redefine their ancestors’ legacy in a rather fresh, slightly mischievous way. Yohan Kebede, keyboardist with the Afrojazz band Kokoroko, has teamed up with bassist Meenlik to shake up the conservative, reserved energy of Ethiopian jazz – in a smooth, lively way that incorporates traces of neo-soul as well as chill-out music. Their release Temsgen came out in the spring on Brownswood.
