LAYENA is a Swiss-based Fusion/Jazz Groove nonet bringing together musicians from Ticino, Fribourg, Bern, Zürich and Basel.
Formed in 2021, the band developed its early musical identity through long jam sessions playing around repetitive loops, vocal styles influenced by Nigerian Afrobeat and EDM, as well as long improvised interludes. Three years of playing and touring together propelled the music to what it is today: a modern and generous soundscape, intimately connected to the harmonic language of Jazz, spreading its wings through the tradition of Italian chanson.
LAYENA operates as a true collective, where responsibilities spanning composition, booking, IT, management, and finances are shared and organized amongst all its members. In December 2023, the band recorded its debut album, "Arcades" at Relief Studio in Belfaux (CH), which was officially released in September 2024.
Cedric Blaser - guitar, vocals
Emilio Giovanoli - bass, vocals
Leonardo Degli Antoni - drums
Jonas Hutter - percussion
Livia Marras - synths
Daniel Hernandez - synths
Marina Iten - altosax
Thierry Marro - tenorsax, sopranosax
Josephine Nagorsnik - trombone
