DEBUT ALBUM: Coming soon
2023
[…] “Akiram dialogues with multiple art forms simultaneously, making her performances fluid, dynamic and innovative thanks to her knowledge of the visual arts world along with her pianistic compositional sensibility and use of ambient effects.” […]
about Akiram
BIOGRAPHY — Akiram (stage name of Marika Mastrandrea) was born in Bari (Italy) and began her classical piano studies at the age of 6. She started to explore jazz when she was a teenager.
During the years she has attended several masterclasses/summer schools with musicians such as Dado Moroni, Barry Harris, Aaron Golberg, John Ellis, Rory Stuart, Tom Harrel, Fabrizio Bosso, Roberto Gatto, Renato Chicco, Andy Watson, Raffaele Casarano and Mirko Signorile.
She also studied with pianists such as Karim Blal while living in Paris and then with Eugenio Macchia, Mario Nappi and with the guitarist Fabrizio Savino.
She has played with different line ups in various theatres of her home town such as the Piccinni Theatre for the event “Jazz for Amnesty International 2011”, the foyer of the Petruzzelli Theatre and the Forma Theatre.
She has also played in festivals such as the JazzIt Festival, Piano Lab and the Locomotive Jazz Festival in the opening concert of “Daniele Silvestri and Raffaele Casarano Locomotive Band”.
She won the Locomotive Giovani 2019 and a scholarship to attend Nuoro Jazz Seminars and on that occasion she won a new scholarship to attend the Nuoro Jazz Seminars for a second time in 2020.
She was selected as one of the fourteen jazz pianists from all over the world to participate in the UNISA International Competition 2020 in Pretoria.
She has had the honour of sharing the stage with international artists such as Daniele di Bonaventura, Rosalia de Souza and Fabrizio Savino.
In 2021 she was selected for JAWO artist residency along with artists from all over the world lead by renowned musicians such as Francesco Bearzatti, Luca Aquino, Carmine Ioanna and Gabriele Coen with whom she as the chance to play and record.
Currently she is working on the release of her first album and on other projects.
