Shabaka

London-born Shabaka earned widespread renown as a saxophonist with his cosmically-oriented ensembles Shabaka and the Ancestors, Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming before taking an indefinite hiatus from the instrument and dedicating himself to the flute. For his flute-forward album Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace, Shabaka tapped into a remarkable cadre of players, including percussionist Carlos Niño, bassist Esperanza Spalding, vocalists Saul Williams and Lianne La Havas and fellow flute explorer, OutKast co-founder André 3000.

In its review of the album, Pitchfork declared that Shabaka had, “remade his music from the ground up… The incarnation may be new, but the music’s underlying spirit, its animating force, is very much the same.” Ars Nova Workshop is thrilled to host this modern innovator for two performances certain to be mesmerizing, rapturous and exploratory.