Drummer Frank Rosaly is one of the world's most sought-after musicians thanks to his versatile talent. He has played with Kurdish singer Meral Polat, who has performed in Prague twice, contributed to Markéta Irglová's solo album, and has been involved in 150 other projects during his 25-year career. Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti from Colombia is a world-class singer and multimedia performer. Both partners live in Amsterdam and recorded the album they will present in Prague in Chicago. "South American traditional music meets avant-garde, art-punk, electronica and minimalism to create exploding futuristic discoveries," writes Bandcamp. The MESTIZX lineup is rounded out by the jazz and improvisational scene's greatest talents: keyboardist Ben Boye, bassist Matt Lux and multi-instrumentalist Ben LaMar Gay. Their music resonates with the aesthetic of a wide range of musical pioneers - from The Ex to cult experimenters like Juan Molina from Argentina and Café Tavba from Mexico.
Frank Rosaly recalls, “Growing up in Arizona as a Puerto Rican minority child, I wasn’t allowed to speak Spanish, the drums became my secret language. In this project, for the first time, I am openly claiming my identity. We chose the name MESTIZX as a colonial aftertaste-free version of the Spanish word ‘mestizo’ for mixed race. It is also a way of expressing an identification with a wide range of cultural identities and artistic practices.” Rosaly first underwent a 15-year creative apprenticeship in Chicago’s jazz and improvised music scene, moving to Amsterdam in 2016. He has recorded over 30 albums and contributed as a sideman to over 100 more.
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti grew up in Bolivia and now lives in Amsterdam, where she works as a performer, visual artist, musician, singer and actress. She studied classical piano for eighteen years and contemporary dance, psychology and anthropology for ten years in Bolivia and Brazil. In Amsterdam in 2006, she received her Bachelor’s degree from the Superior School of Art. Reviews of her performances are not only enthusiastic, but also agree that her work transcends the boundaries of the previously known. It is the visual part of her work that represents an artistically unique expression:
“Ferragutti is crawling, circling and head-butting to find her way. The result is both shocking and funny, with tears of emotion and laughter mingling on my face” – Festival of Radical Languages, Krakow.
“Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti’s arrival on stage immediately changed the atmosphere. It was an eerie and indescribable feeling of power, the song transformed into a pure representation of her character. ” – Juncture Festival, Leeds.
