Bänz Oester & The Rainmakers

This splendid band succeeds in quasi squaring the circle, namely the symbiosis of ecstatic soberness and feel-good happiness. No wonder that audiences in Willisau cheered wildly in response. The Rainmakers are a prime example of this fruitful exchange between North and South. The bandleader and bassist, Bänz Oester and Javier Vercher on tenor sax, come from Europe; the pianist Afrika Mkhize and drummer Ayanda Sikade count among the continent-hopping talents from South Africa. The four of them form a close-knit, inseparable unit. In other words, we are dealing with a formation in which individual strengths are not showcased in egocentric fashion, but are transformed into a collective energy.