Roman Bunka
{{Short description|German instrumentalist and composer (1951–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Roman Bunka
| image = Roman_Bunka_mit_Dissidenten.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Bunka with Dissidenten in 2012
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|12|02|df=y}}
| birth_place = Frankfurt, Hesse, West Germany
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|06|12|1951|12|02|df=y}}
| death_place = Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| occupation = {{Hlist|Guitarist|oud player|composer}}
| education =
}}
Roman Bunka (2 December 1951 – 12 June 2022) was a German guitarist, oud player and composer, active in world music and jazz fusion bands. He lived most of his life in Munich, Bavaria, where he was involved in various musical crossover projects.
Career
Bunka was born in Frankfurt on 2 December 1951. He started playing the guitar as a teenager. In the 1970s, he moved to Munich and joined the world music group Embryo. They toured in Morocco, India and Afghanistan, and the music of these countries made a strong impact on Bunka and his fellow musicians.{{Cite web | last=Wagner | first=Dirk | title=Zum Tod des Münchner Musikers Roman Bunka | website=Süddeutsche.de | date=13 June 2022 | url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/roman-bunka-nachruf-oud-embryo-jisr-1.5602263 | language=de | access-date=17 June 2022}} In 1979, Embryo traveled overland to India with three buses and their instruments.{{Cite web |first=Jürgen |last=Moises | title=Der Geschmack ferner Länder | website=Süddeutsche.de | date=5 August 2019 | url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/pop-der-geschmack-ferner-laender-1.4553077 | language=de | access-date=17 June 2022}} The tour was documented in the movie Vagabunden Karawane.{{citation | title=Vagabunden Karawane eine Reise nach Indien mit der Gruppe Embryo = Vagabond's band | publisher=Aviator-Entertainment | year=2005 | oclc=781352245 | language=de | page=}}
Besides the guitar, his second instrument was the Arabic oud, which he studied mainly in Egypt.{{Cite web |title=German guitarist, oud player Roman Bunka, known for collaboration with Mohamed Mounir dies at 71 – Music – Arts & Culture |url=https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/467826.aspx |access-date=12 June 2022 |website=Ahram Online}}{{Cite web |title=City of Sounds |url=https://www.lighthouse-film.com/video/city-of-sounds/ |date=30 April 2020 |language=de |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=lighthouse-film.com}}{{Cite web |title=Roman Bunka – Dein Kopf ist ein schlafendes Auto |url=https://www.saitenkult.de/2020/07/26/roman-bunka-dein-kopf-ist-ein-schlafendes-auto/ |date=26 July 2020 |language=de |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=lighthouse-film.com}} Having spent long periods of time there, he often played in the band of Egyptian singer and movie actor Mohamed Mounir, for example at the New Year's Eve concert in 2000 at the Pyramids of Giza.{{Cite web | url = https://worldmusiccentral.org/2019/09/10/artist-profiles-roman-bunka/ |title=Artist Profiles: Roman Bunka | website = worldmusiccentral.org | date = 10 September 2019 | access-date = 28 July 2022}}
In 1994, Bunka presented his ethno jazz project Color me Cairo, featuring Malachi Favors of Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Egyptian musicians Fathy Salama, Hosam Shakir and Khaled Goma at the Berlin Jazz Festival, curated by George Gruntz.{{Cite web |title=Jazzfest Berlin Archiv {{!}} Roman Bunka 'Color Me Cairo' feat. Malachi Favor |url=https://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/en/chronicle/jazzfest/gruppe/roman-bunka-color-me-cairo-feat-malachi-favors-1994 |access-date=14 June 2022 |website=www.berlinerfestspiele.de, Berliner Festspiele |language=de}} The same line-up was recorded by Enja Records, with Rolling Stone magazine writing: "Bunka gets fame in a growing musical diaspora as 'best oud-player north of Mekka'."{{Cite web |title=Suchergebnisse für "Bunka" – enja records |url=https://www.enjarecords.com/wordpress/produkt/color-me-cairo/ |access-date=14 June 2022 |website=www.enjarecords.com |language=de-DE}}
Bunka was known for his artistic collaboration with German and international musicians, such as the German world music groups Embryo, Dissidenten and Jisr, but also with jazz musicians Mal Waldron, Charlie Mariano and Malachi Favors, as well as with Indian and Egyptian performers Trilok Gurtu, Ramesh Shotham, Fathy Salama and others.{{Cite web |last=Romero |first=Angel |date=10 September 2019 |title=Artist Profiles: Roman Bunka {{!}} World Music Central |url=https://worldmusiccentral.org/2019/09/10/artist-profiles-roman-bunka/ |access-date=12 June 2022 |language=en-US}} German music critic Ralf Dombrowski wrote about Bunka's 2004 record Orientación with fellow musicians Luis Borda and Jost Heckler: "He is one of the first European musicians who dared to seriously explore the oud and liberated it from exoticism and Orientalism."Ralf Dombrowski: Rezension zu Borda / Bunka / Hecker, Orientación. Enja Weber ENJ CD 9155-2 in Stereoplay 8/2004
During his 50-year career, Bunka recorded and played concerts with numerous musical groups, and also composed soundtracks for movies. A few weeks before his death, he played with the Munich-based group Jisr (Arabic for 'bridge') at concerts in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.{{Cite web |title=The Sound of Faraway Lands |url=https://www.goethe.de/ins/in/en/kul/lak/exo.html |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=www.goethe.de |language=en}} Bunka died of cancer on 12 June 2022, in Munich at the age of 70, with both Egyptian and German newspapers publishing obituaries.{{Cite web |date=13 June 2022 |title=Mohamed Mounir Mourns Death of Best Friend Roman Bunka – Sada El balad |url=https://see.news/mohamed-mounir-mourns-death-of-best-friend-roman-bunka/ |access-date=18 June 2022 |language=en-US}}
Awards
- 1993 BBC Prix Futura for his production of the radio play Tunguska Guska by Grace Yoon, Sainkho Namtchylak, Iris Disse{{Cite web|title=Studiozeit Hörspiel – Tunguska-guska|periodical=|publisher=Deutschlandradio|url=https://www.hoerspielundfeature.de/studiozeit-hoerspiel-tunguska-guska-100.html|url-status=|access-date=15 June 2022|archive-url=|archive-date=|last=hoerspielundfeature.de|date=11 November 2003|language=de|pages=|quote=}}
- 1995 German Critics Poll Winner for Color me Cairo with Malachi Favors and Egyptian musicians{{Cite news |date=15 June 2022 |title=unterm strich |language=de |pages=15 |work=Die Tageszeitung: taz |url=https://taz.de/!5860598/ |access-date=15 June 2022 |issn=0931-9085}}
- 2014 Schwabing Art Prize{{Cite web |last=Abendzeitung München |date=18 March 2014 |title=Auszeichnung! Die Preisträger stehen fest |url=https://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/muenchen/stadtviertel/auszeichnung-die-preistraeger-stehen-fest-art-519781 |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de |language=de}}
Discography
- 1973 Steig Aus (also released as: This Is Embryo){{citation | author=Embryo (Groupe musical) | title=Steig aus | publisher=Brain : Universal Music | year=2004 | oclc=937026843 | page=}}
- 1973 We Keep On with Embryo{{citation | author=Embryo (Grup musical) | title=We keep on | publisher=Wah Wah Records | year=2009 | oclc=804682407 | page=}}
- 1975 Surfin with Embryo{{citation | author=Embryo | title=Surfin' | year=1975 | oclc=725468581 | language=de | page=}}
- 1976 Bad Heads and Bad Cats with Embryo and Charlie Mariano{{citation | author=Embryo (Ensemble) | title=Bad Heads And Bad Cats | publisher=April | oclc=899989754 | page=}}
- 1977 Apo-Calypso with Embryo{{citation | author=Embryo | title=Apo-Calypso | year=1978 | oclc=725636441 | language=de | page=}}
- 1979 Aera Live with Locko Richter, Klaus Kreuzeder, Lutz Oldemeier, Helmut Meier-Limberg, Freddy Setz{{citation | last=Bunka | first=Roman | title=Aera : live | publisher=Intercord | year=1980 | oclc=312766341 | page=}}
- 1980 Reise (CD) with Embryo (Schneeball){{Cite web | author=Embryo | title=Embryo's Reise [recordings from Afghanistan, Pakistan and India] | year=1994 | oclc=1183521208 |url=https://d-nb.info/355372215 |language=de | access-date=14 June 2022}}
- 1980 Dein Kopf ist ein schlafendes Auto{{Cite web | last=Biswurm | first=Roland | title=Musiker und Brückenbauer Roman Bunka gestorben | website=BR24 | date=13 June 2022 | url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/kultur/musiker-und-brueckenbauer-roman-bunka-gestorben,T8ciQBN | language=de | access-date=14 June 2022}}
- 1990 Germanistan with Dissidenten{{citation | title=Germanistan | publisher=Exil-Musikproduktion | year=1993 | oclc=725004433 | language=de | page=}}
Filmography (as composer and recording artist)
- 1995 Halfmoon, by Frieder Schlaich, based on short stories by Paul Bowles{{citation | last1=Schlaich | first1=Frieder | last2=Alberti | first2=Irene von | last3=Bowles | first3=Paul | last4=Guesmi | first4=Samir | last5=Ksouri | first5=Khaled | last6=Belhassen | first6=Sondos | last7=Quilligan | first7=Veronica | last8=Cox | first8=Sam | last9=Zakir | first9=Said | last10=Belfquih | first10=Mohammad | author11=Filmgalerie | author12=Film Förderung | author13=Facets Video | title=Halbmond | publication-place=Chicago, Ill | date=2006 | isbn=1-56580-549-6 | oclc=70662406 | page=}}
- 1998 Am I Beautiful? (Bin ich schön?) by Doris Dörrie{{citation | title=Bin ich schön? | publisher=Constantin Film | year=2009 | oclc=699139360 | language=de | page=}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{Cite web | last=Breznikar | first=Klemen |author-link=Klemen Breznikar | title=Roman Bunka interview | website=It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine | date=8 May 2019 | url=https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2019/05/roman-bunka-interview.html | access-date=17 June 2022}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.romanbunka.de}}
- [https://www.enjarecords.com/wordpress/?s=Bunka&submit=Suche Roman Bunka at Enja Records]
- {{Discogs artist|Roman Bunka}}
- {{IMDb name|0120478}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWyyhIxCp7g Roman Bunka plays a taqsim (solo improvisation) on the oud] on YouTube
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN6xMtDvJCQ&t=40s Vagabunden Karawane: A musical trip through Iran, Afghanistan and India, 1979 with Embryo] on YouTube
- [http://www.gnosis2000.net/reviews/guruguru.htm Guru Guru / Uli Trepte – Hot on Spot / In Between] — CD Review with Uli Trepte
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunka, Roman}}
Category:Musicians from Frankfurt
Category:German male guitarists
Category:German male composers
Category:20th-century German guitarists
Category:20th-century German composers
Category:20th-century German male musicians
Category:21st-century German guitarists
Category:21st-century German composers