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Ottoman Slap’s album launch to be filled with exotic flair


Cape Town - Ottoman Slap will be launching their debut album Idiomatic in Cape Town on Thursday, 15 October.

The event, which will be taking place at the Barans Sisha Lounge at Greenmarket Square, promises to be filled with exotic flair.

The doors open at 19:00 and Ottoman will be performing at 20:00.

Expect a night filled with fire dancing, storytelling, belly dancing and great music.

Tickets are on sale for R100 and can be bought here.

Channel24 had a quick chat with four members from Ottoman Slap.

(Photo: Ottoman Slap/Facebook)

Describe Ottoman Slap`s music in three words:

Doug Armstrong (trumpet): Boom, Boom, Slap.

Simoné Chiara (lead vocals, guitar and percussion): Quirky, exotic, different.

James van Minnen (mandolin, percussion and hybrid drum kit): Original, fresh, old-world.

Callan Wolff (double bass): Eclectic, unique, gypsteriffic, itinerant, polyorgasmic, dynamic, melodious, mellifluous... more than 3 words.

What can people expect from your CD launch event at Barans on 15 October?

Doug: Delicious dancers, memorable musicalizations and the horn section that will put the “seksie” back into “horing seksie”.

Simoné: Great storytelling, wonderful dancers, great music.

James: An intimate but lively celebration of Ottoman Slap's debut album release, punctuated with some very special guest performances, a screening of our new music video, and of course, our band performing the tracks of the album with a few extra pieces thrown in just for "mos".

Callan: A creative visual and aural experience with inspirational music, dancing and so much more.

How do you manage to give Balkan and Middle Eastern music a local make-over?

Doug: I use 100% South African air to play the trumpet.

Simoné: Each band member brings something different to the table and combined it makes for a unique combination.

James: We are paying homage to our own roots in this music, as well as to cultural idioms that have quietly become part of Cape culture such as Ghoema rhythms, travelling stories and other "gemengde masalas". Just like any contemporary artist here, in the Middle East or The Balkans, we are responding creatively to elements we encounter in the culture around us. I guess we just tend to look a bit more closely in slightly more obscure places...

Callan: All band members are local and naturally add a homegrown flavour.

Where do you get all the lovely, exotic costumes from that you wear on stage?

Doug: Surely everyone has clothes like that hidden away, they just never get an opportunity to put them on? Actually I wear those clothes under my normal clothes all the time to manage my mood.

Simoné: Marissa sources her belly dancing costume items from all sorts of weird and wonderful places. I try to wear items that I have brought from Spain, like beautiful mantillas.

James: We mix and match junk shop bargains, ancient finery and some locally-commissioned pieces in an effort to present ourselves in a way that creates "a bit of a vibe", and is hopefully evocative of a time and place that one just can't quite place...

Callan: Mr Price.

We love that belly dancing is part of your show, but we would like to know: Which celebrity would you be most keen to Tango with?

Doug: I will dance with any celebrity but I hope I will be excused if I don't recognise them immediately, or at all.....

Simoné: Honestly, I don't even watch TV. I wouldn't know who is famous at the moment. I would prefer to tango with someone decidedly not famous.

James: I would love to Tango with Esma Redzepova, "The Queen of the Gypsies".

Callan: Mrs Price.

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