An extraordinary thing happened yesterday. I met a couple from South Africa and we talked about music. Complete strangers. But the thing that connected us was that I love Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the late great singers Miriam Makeba and Lionel Petersen. We talked about their impact and for just a brief moment we sang …
This track combines a strong soulful vocal over a fantastic dance beat that sounds exotic, I love the build up to the hook on this, the bass line is hypnotic, and the percussion wanders in and out. But when it gets going you have a song that really is anthemic, I mean it’s a call …
Years ago I knew a kid in my neighbourhood called Chumbo. His family were from North Africa. I’m not sure exactly where. He was a bright kid, loved his football, and always had a big smile. When he moved, his friends around him were so sad, I never saw him again, and nothing on the …
This track grooves on nicely! It reminds me of the music that we used to play in my house growing up in so many ways – the analogue sounds including the organ, which I’m going to hazard a guess at being a Vox. The synth lead gives it away that this artist is influenced by …
Speech Debelle just dropped a beauty of an album, “Sunday Dinner On A Monday” and one of my favourite tracks on it is this one for many reasons. The warped record playing the chords sets the tone, especially with the crackle. The beat drops in borrowing from afrobeat with the rimshot, kick and shakers. It’s …
To Ghana – the motherland – we go for this, and it’s got the taste of suya, jollof rice and an ice cold Fanta in the summer sun with ice dripping down the sides. In other words this song deserves the chef’s kiss. Gabrielle Sey and Brapurple join forces on this Gabrielle bringing the soulful …
This song comes with such a gentle Afro beat flavour that took me back to the mother land. Sharyn dropped a gospel flavour that fuses beautiful harmonies with a beat that has percussion doing most of the work, but with the occasional 808 dropping a kick here and there. But this is not about the …
James Numbere is back and he’s brought us a gospel song that is just gorgeous. Mixed with African percussion, acoustic guitars, piano and strings this just hits the spot. The lyrics appeal to God for help in carrying the load, and recognises that we are after all human with very human physicalities – the lyrics …
It’s been a strange kind of day. I have watched the first two episodes of the new Obi Wan tv series, Stranger Things season 4 just dropped… And Cable Street Collective sent me their album to review. I’m blessed right now and it’s not even 9am yet. So what did they send me? Well, it’s …
Blue Lab Beats – Motherland Journey Sky Reflections The first track on this opens with with an instrumental, you could just imagine this as a concert entry music… The way that this starts off is uplifting, and I love it. I love the the synth chords start out, and I really need to find out …
