A journey through the world

Tiago Rouxinol and André Duarte, 2 friends with the same passion for Music, go by the name TikTek. This dynamic duo were born in Portugal and have dedicated more than 20 years of their lives to travel all over the world studying the powerful Music cultures of West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Brasil, Colombia, Peru & Cuba. Their main influences come directly from these countries where they learned their rhythms, melodies, traditional songs and then got really inspired to follow their own musicality and style. They also studied Music Production & Sound Engineering which led TikTek to become a fusion of Organic, Tribal & Traditional music with Electronic music. They have been producing their own music at their home studio creating their first album( some songs were already released) and also making backing tracks for their live performances. TikTek Ensemble play on top of these backing tracks with organic instruments, electronic pads, guitar, synthesizer, also their voices to sing and improvise according to the energy and environment of each performance.

Their musical expression is a journey through the world that can range from Samba to Salsa, from Rumba to Merengue, from Tribal to Psy Trance, from Capoeira to Afro Beat – they are always looking for the groove – finding ways to make people dance and connect with modern deep rooted tunes. They always bring high levels of energy to all their performances and people are left in awe and amazement of what they experience. TikTek are not ecstatic dance Djs or a world music duet. They are pioneers for creating something authentic and artistic where dance becomes the vehicle for healing and enlightenment while Live Electronic Music is the bridge.

TikTek are in constant interaction with their audience, the dancers, refining each musical selection of what they call their ‘Wave’ feeling into the energy of the room, sensing the vibe and playing their music accordingly. This creates a real living experience for the dancers to feel safe and connect with a sense of belonging to themselves and a tribe. Their dance rituals are not to escape reality but to confront it in a gentle way in order to reshape it through self and collective empowerment.