Dawuna

The most delicate, fragile rhythms to be heard at this year’s donaufestival belong to Ian Mugerwa alias Dawuna: clicks and crackles or scrapes over wood, which Dawuna sings, hums, and whispers over, are accompanied by gentle gospel choirs. Some pieces are reminiscent of R’n’B avant-gardists such as D’Angelo and Frank Ocean. A major source of inspiration comes from Black improvised music. He sings of wounds and traumas, his beautiful soul voice pleads for forgiveness of the sins committed by others. “A masterpiece,” wrote The Guardian about his debut album Glass Lit Dream. After he finished it, Dawuna says, he had to go to therapy.