Damballah by Dr. Pete Larson and his Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band

In the mid 10s, musician/epidemiologist Dr. Pete Larson went to Kenya and learned to play the nyatiti, the eight stringed lyre of the Luo people from the shores of Western Kenya. Studying for three years under the last great elder nyatiti player Oduor Nyagweno, he returned to the US and quickly formed a band of musical freaks and fused the sounds of Kenyan folk musics with Michigan psyche and synth madness. The result is the Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band, a transcendental sound experience of sound of nyatiti, synths, guitar wailing and percussive bombast.

"Damballah" was recorded in March 2020, just the day before the Covid-19 shutdown, was mixed remotely and finally released during isolation. Featuring Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me, ECOATM, Idle Ray), Dave Sharp and Mike List (Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet), "Damballah" is a wild, bliss-filled, head spinning musical journey like no other.

Damballah is the spirit of fertility, goodness and knowledge symbolized by the two snakes. She brings and communicates knowledge. Damballah is a great spirit of fertility and wisdom that helps all people avoid bad steps and points them toward the correct paths.

Dr. Pete Larson does music.

Sometimes with a band, sometimes alone.