&Chakib by Dandara

“&Chakib” is the debut album from Swiss Producer, DJ, and Live-Act Dominik Traub aka Dandara. Having released numerous EPs and singles on European dance music labels with his signature sound weaving influences from Africa, Asia and Latin America with sophisticated European Techno and House, this new album finds Dominik going back to his roots after a serendipitous encounter at a festival in Basel, Switzerland with Algerian vocalist and multi instrumentalist Chakib Bouzidi.

Working in collaboration during a intensive one-week studio session that spanned Algeria and Switzerland the album began to take shape before taking an unexpected turn. Tragically, soon after the initial recordings, Chakib Bouzidi passed away, leaving an irreplaceable void in the hearts of those who knew him and the project itself. After a period of mourning, reflection and blessings from the family, Dominik continued work on the album, honoring Chakib's memory by using the existing material and forging ahead to complete the album.

The album, infused with the essence of Chakib's voice notes detailing his final days and the collaborative recording process serves as a heartfelt tribute to their collaboration. The production seamlessly integrates elements from Chakib's existing contributions and fills in the gaps left by the unrecorded portions, as a community of artists rallied together to contribute drums, keys, horns, guitars, and vocals, adding layers to the album's mosaic-like composition.

Dandara, assuming the roles of both guitarist and producer, combined and re worked the diverse material recorded, resulting in an album that encapsulates the spirit of collaboration, resilience, and a celebration of Chakib's enduring creative influence. This album is not just a collection of globally influenced dance music tracks that could stand alone or on an EP; it's a story of artistic collaboration and a tribute to the enduring legacy of Chakib Bouzidi.