Jazz at the Alte Feuerwache | Rasgueo

Founded in 2012 by four musicians with a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, the quartet has become a fixture on Berlin’s intercultural jazz scene. The name says it all: ‘Rasgueo’ refers to the iconic strumming technique of the flamenco guitar – and it is precisely this energy that defines the band’s unmistakable sound.

Meet Rasgueo:

• Nikos Tsiachris – flamenco guitar, composition, bandleader. Through projects such as the ‘My Spanish Heart’ concert series, the ‘Flamenco Jazz Masters’ ensemble and ‘Rasgueo’, he is actively committed to ensuring that flamenco jazz remains a dynamic, evolving art form.
• Patricio Böttcher – saxophone, flute – is an Argentine-German woodwind player, composer and versatile bridge-builder between South American tradition and modern jazz.
• Martin Lillich – bass. A virtuoso whose repertoire ranges from jazz and classical music to Turkish music, klezmer and flamenco.
• Cristian Betancourt – percussion. Classically trained at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK), specialising in timpani, marimba and drums, amongst other instruments.

With Rasgueo, the interplay between guitar and saxophone takes centre stage. Tsiachris also knows how to forge his own path with his compositions, enabling the band to carve out a truly unique place for itself on the international flamenco-jazz scene. The latest album, ‘Eleven’, is innovative and experimental, featuring unusual time signatures (11/16, 11/8, 7/8), the judicious use of electric guitar and percussive rhythmic accompaniment. Stylistically, the album ranges from flamenco (‘Malagueña’, ‘Colombiana’) to jazz (‘Crossing Paths’) and world music (‘Gute Laune’, ‘Balkan Ballad’).