In Hindu philosophy, “moksha” means emancipation, liberation, self-actualization and enlightenment. It provides an easy anagram to summarise the career of this French-Norwegian musician, who has been on a personal journey since 2012, starting with roots in American blues and folk tradition, before venturing into 1970s-inspired music and funky grooves. Parts are reminiscent of Allman Brothers Band or Derek Trucks Band in the way he embraces the past and brings it back to life, Bjørn Berge in a nod to Northern Europe, or even Ben Harper and Ray Lamontagne through his soul-infused voice, creating “an invitation to travel into the depths of our soul”.

Stene Moshka is no stranger to France’s many blues festivals, but goes far beyond this genre, through solo folk songs and with his bands, demonstrating a strong desire to flesh out his music by borrowing a more rock’n’roll edge from the Southern USA. With his exceptional voice and stage presence, he plays live with loop pedals and his trusted acoustic guitar to build a real minimalist orchestra in an intimate, original and spellbinding show. The result is a sort of folk balladeer music that plays with constraints, time periods and styles to create its own legend.