Raphael Rogiński

Raphael Rogiński – guitarist, composer and performer, improviser, culture animator and musicologist. Educated in jazz and classical music, he also studied musical theory and ethnomusicology. Since the very beginning of his creative work he has been focusing primarily on improvisation rooted in blues and jazz, as well as on ethnic and folk music. It is the combination of those two paths that best defines his style both in terms of composing and performing. Deeply rooted in the Jewish culture, Rogiński has always sought to accommodate it in his art and this search resulted in the conception of two projects which he leads: Shofar and Cukunft. He also acts as art director of festivals presenting new Jewish culture like Tikkun, Varshe or Mizrach, and as consultant for projects featured at those festivals. He also has a deep connection with the Israeli culture. His band Debka Rafiah plays early Israeli music. Another source of inspiration for Rogiński is the primitive music of America, blues and the rock of 1960s. Inspired, on the other hand, by American experimental music (Harry Patch, Henry Cowell and others), Rogiński formed his band Spinalonga. The research on primitive swing resulted in setting up another band, Ectoplasma, playing music of Raymond Scott or early big band orchestras from Mississippi. The band Wovoka, in turn, grew up from the influences from early recordings of blues. The research on European early music brought about the release of the album Rogiński gra Bacha (Rogiński Plays Bach), which is a collection of Bach’s pieces played on prepared guitars. Rogiński is also involved in projects stemming from the international new jazz scene. His compositions, improvisations and interpretations are often used as soundtracks for various artistic events – documentaries and animations (e.g. Man Ray, Viking Elling), performing acts (J. Kalina), traditional and multimedia theatre plays and literature readings (Tadeusz Różewicz, Mieczysław Myśliwski, Jerzy Ficowski, Mieczysław Abramowicz, Andrzej Stasiuk). Currently, apart form the bands mentioned above, his ongoing musical projects include Nefesh (Mediterean music), Falashmura (Jewish African music), Sisters (with DJ Lenar) and solo concerts. Rogiński has collaborated with Kazuchisa Uchichashi, Le Quan Ninh, Marc Ribot, Noel Akchote, Frederic Blondy, Keith Rowe, Joe Giardullo, Axel Dorner, Thomas Lehn, Andrew Sharpley, John Edwards, John Tilbury, Brigit Ulher, Yale Strom, Tim Sparks, Frank London, Tim Daisy, Perry Robinson, Zeev Tene, Dave Rempis, Mark Tokar, Mark Sanders, Clayton Thomas, Kris Wenders, Peter Jaquemyn, Eyal Talmudi and many others. He frequently participates in music workshops, competitions and festivals of contemporary music, including the Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow, Simcha in Wrocław, Four Cultures in Łódź, Ha Motiv Ha Jehudi in Warsaw, Rainbow Coalition Festival in Hanover (USA), Warsaw Autumn, Gaudeamus Music Week in Hague, Boskovice Festival in Czech Republic, Ars Electronica in Linz, G2 Music for creative chamber orchestra, NuFolk in Gdańsk, Fete de la Musique in Paris, IndieNegev in Israel among others.