For many people, Bobby McFerrin is ‘the guy who sang Don't Worry, Be Happy'. Though he is indeed the composer of that world famous hit and has been performing the song for more than 30 years, it forms just a tiny part of his musical career - as will become evident during the concert. This American singer and composer is a boundary-pushing, tireless ‘seeker', whose life tells its own story of his constant exploration into self-knowledge and the artistic spirit. Time after time, he has redefined both his own music and his place in the music world, while each of his concerts is a unique, unrepeatable, ‘go-with-the-flow' experience for the audience. McFerrin is unconstrained by the limits of music categorisations, his music takes in a wide palette of various musical styles that creates a bridge in his own inimitable way between the gaps that fall between the different styles. Jazz, pop, R&B, classical music and world music dissolve into one - often in a single song. His nearly 40-year long musical career has seen him play alongside artists such as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Tony Williams and Yo-Yo Ma, while he has also conducted the Vienna Philharmonic. His vocals largely consist of wordless singing, his own personal invention. And though he has won ten Grammy awards, he stands outside the conventional stereotypes of the music industry, inspired only by his eternal fascination with music.
McFerrin will present to the Müpa Budapest audience a reinterpretation of his meditation and improvisational Circlesongs work, based on the traditions of Africa and the Middle East and featuring supporting vocalists.