Sjard Roscher

No musical journey between jazz, rock and polyrhythms previously was ever so danceable!

“At the very beginning this band wanted to be called “Big Band” or “Orchestra”. Sounded a bit too shiny and at the same time too clean – somehow not crazy enough. In my book the name of “Band of Transfiguration” expresses a certain fool’s license, it lives, it is wild!

Growing up and living in Kibera, Kenya, Abdul Kassim was well aware of the disproportionate number of challenges faced by women due to the extreme gender inequalities that persist in the slums. After being raised by his aunts, mother, and grandmother and having a daughter himself, he felt that he needed to make a difference.

Our bodies have a story to tell. When we turn toward our bodies with curiosity and reverence, we honor those stories, embrace our inner dignity, and make space for more agency. Sharing our bodies' stories helps us feel seen so that, little by little, society's limiting master narratives can shift so that more bodies feel safe and beautiful and have a sense of belonging.

In a culture that says bigger is better, it is subversive work to take tiny, lasting steps toward learning and growth.