Grupo Maloka

The Grupo Maloka combines Latin American music with Persian sounds, Eastern European folk songs and Irish folk. Every corner of the world comes together musically to build the Maloka House. The word Maloka comes from an indigenous language of the Amazon, and means a simple house built of straw and wood, a space that harbors community, celebrations and ceremonies. Grupo Maloka arranges traditional music from the homelands of its members as well as other folklore in the typical Bridges sound: instruments and styles that are traditionally never seen together, yet here, you will find them all together in one home. 

Andrés Rosales studied jazz guitar and composition in Colombia and the USA. He is a guitarist and tiple player in the Bridges Kammerorchester, composer and winner of the Young Composers’ Competition of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia. In addition to his international concert and composition activities, Andrés Rosales writes arrangements and compositions for the NDR and the Bridges Kammerorchester, among others. As a composer, he has worked with the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia and orchestras from Buenos Aires and has performed on stage with major representatives of the Latin American scene. His compositions La Suite and Sendero – Camino en viento salvaje have appeared on the albums of the Bridges Kammerorchester Identigration and Complementarity.

Samira Memarzadeh studied harp in Frankfurt and London and is at home in orchestras, chamber music and transcultural music ensembles. She is constantly discovering new possibilities on her instrument in a wide variety of musical styles – from minimal music to transcultural music. In addition to her concert activities, she has been working as a music educator at Bridges – Musik verbindet since 2018 and at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf since 2021. She is also in demand as a transcultural music mediator and speaker in collaborations with various actors in the music scene (including Heidelberger Frühling, Netzwerk Junge Ohren). Parallel to her music studies, she completed a degree in Islamic Studies in Freiburg. Samira Memarzadeh is a founding member of the Bridges Kammerorchester and a member of the Bridges ensembles Grupo Maloka, Perismon and the music education ensemble Tiny Bridges.

Johanna-Leonore Dahlhoff has been the artistic director of Bridges – Musik verbindet in Frankfurt since 2016 and founded the Bridges Kammerorchester together with Anke Karen Meyer in 2019. She studied flute in Hamburg and Hanover and music therapy in Berlin. Johanna-Leonore Dahlhoff is an alumna of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, the DAAD and the Robert Bosch Stiftung and was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra. On her concert tours as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician to numerous countries around the world, it is always important to her to get to know the musical traditions of the respective host country. Since 2015, she has also been active as a composer and arranger, including for the Bridges Kammerorchester.

Reza Rostami is a multi-percussionist. Since Bridges – Musik verbindet was founded, he has performed in numerous ensemble and orchestral concerts in the Rhine-Main Area and throughout Germany, including at a festive event organized by the German government in Berlin. Reza Rostami is an expert in traditional Iranian and Kurdish music. He has extensive expertise in a wide variety of musical styles and is constantly expanding his repertoire and instruments.  

Diana Dinu completed a teaching degree, studied art history and singing and graduated from the National Music University of Bucharest as a mezzo-soprano. She has been active with Bridges – Musik verbindet since 2017 and focuses on traditional Romanian songs. Diana Dinu has experience in both classical and modern music and performs in concerts and at theater and festival events. She also works as a vocal coach and vocal teacher for classical and modern music.

Ensemble

Andrés Rosales Tiple/Guitar/Cuatro 
Samira Memarzadeh Harp
Johanna-Leonore Dahlhoff Flute/Quena 
Reza Rostami Percussion 
Diana Dinu Vocals

Fotos © Salar Baygan