The Duo of Brandon Terzic and Kane Mathis is an epiphany of sorts. Both musicians are American born with Midwestern roots. They both have traveled the world and been pulled in deeply by the traditional music’s of Africa and the Middle East, and they are both multi-instrumentalists who posess a high level of dedication and mastery of their respective instruments and continue to push the boundaries of the traditional contexts of the music.
Brandon Terzic plays the Arabic Oud, the Turkish Saz, Guitar and the Malian jalli Ngoni. He has performed and studied with Master musicians from Morocco, Senegal, India and the US and Europe and has toured internationally. He has released two Albums, the groundbreaking Xalam Project and a Duo improvisation album with Master Percussionist Ravi Padmanabha called Western Skies Eastern Dreams.
Kane Mathis is probably the only musician in the World that has managed to master both the Kora and the Turkish Oud. He also plays guitar and sings in the Mandinkin language of West Africa. He has spent years shuttling back and forth between the US and the Gambia, as well as making trips to Turkey to dedicate himself fully to his Art. He has recorded many albums and is esteemed as a solo artist as well as being a sought after sideman in multiple idioms.
What makes the pairing of these two musicians so special and unique is quite simply that these instruments and these traditions have never been brought together in such a manner. The music is truly remarkable in that it honors the traditions and at the same time is able to go to new places in so many different ways. It is a synthesis, a magic alchemy, and a much needed musical and cultural anecdote in these times.
www.brandonterzic.com