Ben Osborn / Zazuka - Live 2020.01.08 Schokoladen, Berlin, Germany

The last time I was at Schokoladen was just over ten years ago. I saw a punk show on New Year’s Eve and went outside at midnight to watch people throw snowballs and launch fireworks. I had such a good time that I memorialized the day in a song. Considering that I don’t live far away these days, it was nigh time to return.

Unfortunately, one of the originally scheduled acts, Tan LeRacoon, had to cancel due to illness. In his place was Zazuka, a Jordanian-German singer-songwriter that played solo at a keyboard. She was a bit meek and quiet, and the music was generally sparse and sombre, but she managed to cover a lot of ground and offered a fair bit of variety. She sung in German, English, Arabic, and Turkish, including a couple covers. Some songs were jazzy, with a hint of cabaret from a century ago, while others were rooted in various folk traditions. Her lyrics were also noteworthy; one bemoaned a person stuck too deep in their traditions that apparently held them back. For two songs, she brought Barbara Cuesta on stage to add backing vocals, which was a nice extra touch.

Ben Osborn from England also mostly played alone, but was a bit more adventurous in his instrumentation. He played guitar on one song, but a problem with one of his pedals prevented another. Instead, he mostly stuck to his keyboard and some light electronics, and he even played around a bit with a drum machine. His keyboard skills weren’t as dynamic as Zazuka’s, but the manner in which he blended the instrument with his synthesized sounds and effects more than made up for it. He joked about playing techno, but the electronic elements never dominated over the fundamental components of his voice and keyboards. He also brought up Barbara Cuesta to guest on two songs, and on the latter, she even played guitar.

Osborn also joked about him and Zazuka seeming out of place in a punky anarchist bar, but he said they were also anarchists, just of the “quiet” variety. He also made several references to chamber pop, but to my ear both acts were singer-songwriters somewhere in the realm of folk music. My understanding is that the studio recordings of both are somewhat more orchestrated and carefully arranged, so perhaps the label would apply more accurately there. At any rate, it was a pleasant evening and a welcome return to a place I have fond memories of.

Scores:
Zazuka: C
Ben Osborn: B-

P.S. Thanks to Lutz, Dave, and Tobias!