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RITUAL was founded in Bydgoszcz in 2013 by Bogusław Raatz and Waldemar Knade under the name Ritual Duo. Since 2015 it has been operating under the name RITUAL ART ORCHESTRA (R-A-O).
The current members of the band are: Steve Kindler, Bogusław Raatz, Daniel Mackiewicz.
The group cooperates or cooperated with Eurazja Srzednicka and Sławomir Ciesielski. RITUAL released the album KOLORY recorded along with Eurazja Srzednicka (vocal) and drummer Sławomir Ciesielski from the REPUBLIKA band.
R-A-O musicians use a variety of musical instruments, from classical to ethnic, without giving up contemporary electronic sounds. The concert offer of RITUAL ART ORCHESTRA is addressed in particular to medium and small auditoriums. It is sophisticated music creating an unique atmosphere and stylistically diverse. In the case of a trio or a quartet, the offer also includes outdoor concerts. It is music with ethnic elements without a specific focus on any genre and style. A material for the RITUAL ART ORCHESTRA album is registered in the current line-up.
The current members of RITUAL ART ORCHESTRA:
Steve Kindler (USA) – electric violin (9-string, 4-string), synthesizers and programming
Bogusław Raatz (PL) – guitars, string ethnic instruments, synthesizers
Daniel Mackiewicz (PL) – tabla, djembe, percussion instruments,
Steven Kindler is a world wide recognized violinist who was the precursor of playing the multi-string electric violin. He began his career at the age of 10 by playing with the Portland Youth Philharmonic. He collaborated with, among others, John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jean Luc Ponty, Jan Hammer, Jeff Beck, Maxim and Dmitry Shostokovitch, YoYoMa, Schlomo Mintz, Zakir Husain, Kitaro and many others.
Bogusław Raatz co-founder of the QUESTION MARK, WARM TRIO (with drummer Grant C Weston) and RITUAL band. Together, he gave concerts with J. Skrzek S. Kindler, J. Skolias and others. He collaborates with artists Mirosław Rogala and Łukasz Wodyński. He plays acoustic and electric guitars as well as stringed ethnic instruments such as: oud, saz, balalaika, sitar and tampura.
Daniel Mackiewicz established the jazz-rock group Jaskinia, in which Andrzej Przybielski and Janusz Zdunek also played. He collaborated with Tomasz Gwinciński with the Maestro Trytony band. Together with Węcławek he co-created ephemeral avant-jazz bands like Prostata-Prostota, Osofskie Kwarki, Krasnoludki Zgieria and Smoki. A rock group Variete invited him to cooperate, recorded with him the album „New material”. Currently, he is also a co-creator of the Cyclists. He composed music for the drama of the Polish Theatre in Bydgoszcz. (Jaskinia, Maestro Trytony, Sing Sing Penelope).