Kaleema^AR

Cinematic, colourful textures spring to life from the Andean roots of Kaleema’s synthesis of the folkloric and futuristic. Merging her Afro-Columbian musical history with classical training and an affinity for a forward-thinking blend of free jazz, hip-hop and r&b, she creates kaleidoscopic rhythms and a dynamic, nomadic eclecticism that proposes the dissolution of borders and boundaries.

Kaleema’s influences read like a roadmap to how she arrived at her own sound—with teen years spent learning classical violin while also jamming out D’Angelo and Bill Withers covers on guitar. An enthusiastic father made sure she not only received an ample Brazilian vinyl collection, but would drag her out to see early German electronic artists visiting town through The Goethe Institute. After studying at the SAE Institute of New York, Lewandowski began a series of collaborations—from recording alongside Canadian Polaris prize winner Lido Pimienta—to Kompakt records’ Gregor Schewllenbach, building a symphonic merger of classical sounds alongside dance-influenced rhythms. That synthesis of South American folklore, African melodies, and pulsating electronica came together in Kaleema’s 2017 debut, Nómada, which took Lewandowski touring across Europe and Latin America. Fellow Argentinian performer Uji was one of the many who drew out her sounds in a remix album of Nómada, and Lewandowski is now preparing her second album for release in 2020.

Bringing her diasporic vibrations to MUTEK for the first time, Kaleema’s live performance promises a spirited mix of beats, synths and world music styles, crafting sonic rituals from electronic foundations blended with the clarity and warmth of her folkloric roots.

In 2019, Kaleema was part of the Amplify initiative and performed in MUTEK Montréal Edition 20.