Patti Smith, the iconic American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, artist, photographer, and author has had an extraordinary, and singular, creative career. Banga is the latest in a long line of cultural achievements, and illustrates clearly the erudition, humanity, and curiosity at the heart of Smith’s work. Named after Pilate’s dog in Bulgakov’s great novel The Master And Margarita, Banga’s broad-ranging preoccupations include moving elegies on Amy Winehouse and Maria Schnieder, as well as reflections on the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and the work of Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky.