Voyage

Not to be confused with the late-'70s disco ensemble Voyage, whose best-known track was the single "Souvenirs," this world-music collective took shape in Germany during the early 1990s as an exploratory, multicultural project. Its foundation rests on three percussionists—Sascha Gotowtschikow, Charly Böck, and Roman Seehon, the last of whom established the group following a pivotal collaboration with Jordanian drummer Ibrahim Abu Hassan. Although Hassan’s expertise lies in Middle Eastern traditions, Voyage draws material from a far broader map that includes Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The ensemble’s stylistic range is deliberately wide, allowing it to blend disparate world-music idioms without warning and without favoring one region over another. Traditional acoustic instruments figure prominently; across any given recording a listener may encounter the Arabic ney, Indian tabla, Peruvian cajon, Spanish flamenco guitar, or African dundun drums. Because the group’s curiosity shifts freely, consecutive pieces may evoke Japan, Morocco, Peru, Spain, or any combination of locales. The outfit completed its debut album, Kelimdance, for Miramar between late 1993 and early 1994; its follow-up, Selam, appeared on Blue Sun in 1998.