Rigas Ritmi Festival presents - global music supergroup Bokanté!Bokanté is a Grammy nominated global music supergroup founded by the American bass guitarist and composer Michael League, who is also known as a member of the famous funk and fusion group Snarky Puppy. "Bokanté" in Guadeloupian Creole means "Exchange". This emphasizes the interaction and complementary musical power of the band's colorful members. Guadeloupian, for its part, is chosen because of this Caribbean island's vocalist Malika Tirolien, who now resides in Montreal, Canada.In addition to Michael and Malik, two other Snarky Puppy guitarists Chris McQueen and Bob Lanzetti as well as Art of Riga Jazz concert series guest, a renowned American steel pedal guitarist Roosevelt Collier and other masters are on the line-up. "Seeing us as a group of people from five countries and four continents, each one with their own story and upbringing ... all of that co-existing to create a sound that is harmonious and groovy and joyful, in itself, a message," says Michael Legue, leader of the group, while adding that Malika sings not only about joyful things, but also about various issues in today's complex world. In both Creole and French, Malika is able to vividly paint nuanced scenes from situations unfortunately unfamiliar to the people of the 21st century – the refugee crisis, the dying planet, apathy to human suffering. But Bokanté also does not forget to emphasize the things that unite us all and give hope for the future of humanity. In Riga, the band will perform a program on both their albums Strange Circles and What Heat, warming Latvia's July to African musical temperatures.