Listen to the achingly beautiful soul of J.P Bimeni on new single I Miss You.
J.P. Bimeni is the Burundian-born singer – who paired with Spanish funk band, Black Belts – sounds like a soul legend in the making.
The ballad sees Bimeni’s vocals in full bloom pitted against a gritty and cinematic sound of epic horns and soaring gospel tones. The track comes from his first ever album entitled Free Me scheduled for release in Autumn 2018.
Bimeni’s story is unique. “Burundi is a country at war with itself and my family is a microcosm of this”, says the singer, who was born to a republican-leaning, high-ranking military official father and a mother who was a descendant of the royal family. When the country’s civil war began in 1993 and became an inter ethnic conflict with massive loss of life, Bimeni was shot through the chest and left on the brink of death. After later hearing that he was on the wanted list from his hospital bed in Kenya he was subsequently poisoned by injection in the hospital.
Amazingly Bimeni recovered and was able to register as a refugee. He applied for a scholarship program run by the UN Refugee Agency and at 16 he left for a college in Wales with a chance of a better life and the opportunity to make music for a living. He is now based in London.
I Miss You is the debut single from J.P. Bimeni and is out now. His debut album Free Me is set for release on Tucxone Records on October 12th.
Chancha Via Circuita’s new album is called Bienaventuranza (bliss) and takes his Argentinian fusion of cumbia music – with an electronic aesthetic – to new heights. Releasing on US Wonderwheel Records, Chancha Via Circuito – a Buenos Aires native named Pedro Canal – combines Andean instruments and folklore to a distinctily Latin beat.
Formerly signed to ZZK and Crammed, previously acclaimed albums such as Rio Arriba (2010) and Amansara (2014), Bienaventuranza features collaborations with other stars on the digital cumbia scene – including Mateo Kingman, Kaleema, and Lido Pimienta. Also involved are Colombian dancehall don Manu Ranks and percussionist Federico Estevez.
The album is out now. Two tracks featured on the latest World Treasures Music radio show – Ilaló (feat. Mateo Kingman) at the five minute mark and Kawa Kawa (feat. Kaleema) at 41m.44s.
This is one LP that needs to be heard. Earth is the fourth album from the jazz outfit led by drummer Nick Woodmansey – son of Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey (who was the drummer with Bowie’s Spiders from Mars). Nick is joined on this masterpiece by a host of visionaries, including Idris Ackamoor from The Pyramids, Dele Sosimi once of Africa 80, Nat Birchall, Sarathy Korwar from Shabaka Hutchings’ set-up, Ben Hadwen from Ibibio Sound Machine, and The Heliocentrics’ Malcolm Catto.
This album brings a heady, multi-cultural strain of UK jazz with African, Indian and Middle Eastern influences. Emanative sound like no other on the current UK jazz scene and their LP comes at a time of great fertility. Their Sun Ra like mysticism and influences from around the world have created something more wonderful than their previous record – The Light Years of the Darkness – on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label back in 2015.
Nick Woodmansey
In 2008, when Emanative began, it was an output for Woodmansey’s more broken beat/nu-jazz productions on the Futuristica Music label. Nick’s musical journey has been an interesting one to trace. The Light Years of the Darkness in 2015 also featured work with Keiran Hebden (Four Tet), where a deep percussive, sometimes hypnotic sound (such as on tracks like Makondi and Four Tet’s edit on the Lions Of Judah project) displayed another side to Emanative. Drumming on the Lions Of Judah project – with Ahmed Abdullah and in dedication to Sun Ra’s drummer Steve Reid – was Nick’s best known work previously. All profits went to the Steve Reid Foundation, a charity which Gilles Peterson set up and where Nick is a trustee – all in the name of the legendary jazz-drummer. The charity helps musicians in crisis as well as supports new talent.
Emanative’s Ben Hadwen
Also featured on the new album are core members: Jessica Lauren on keys, Tamar Osborn (baritone saxophone and flute), Ben Hadwen (bass clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone), Suman Joshi playing upright bass, and three percussionists: Sarathy Korwar, Phillip Harper and Vince Vella.
It is exciting to think where Emanative will go next – with Nick’s links to the electronic world and the glitterati of jazz and world music. This new album’s quality and the evolution to this spiritual jazz-inspired collective puts Emanative in a new league.
Two tracks from the Emanative album featured on the latest World Treasures Music radio show at 22m.35s. More tracks will also be featured next week on KMAH Radio, on Thursday, 2pm – 4pm (GMT).
The latest World Treasures Music radio show is now available to catch up on and features a new interpretation of Japanese ambiance by 5th Notional and a track called Ife by new transnational outfit – Ekiti Sound.
Ekiti Sound is Leke, aka CHiF, a Nigerian and London-based producer, vocalist and musician who has just signed to Crammed Discs after working on soundtracks in the Nollywood film industry. He makes futuristic fusion music that transcends borders. This video is pretty natty too and is directed by Sam Campbell, who shot it in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria:
“Ife means the greatest love in Yoruba,” Lefe says. “The song weaves a traditional raspy vocal from Ekiti Sound collaborator Prince G. The deep sub bass energy rides on the signature heavy tribal drums and patterns of Ekiti sound lifting into a ethereal breakdown melody that sticks in your head.”
Ekiti Sound’s debut album Abeg No Vex is planned for release in November.
Also featured in the latest show is a track from the priceless reissue of 5th Notional’s Yawn Yawn Yawn by Archeo Recordings. Manu at Archeo has been reissuing grails from his native Italy since 2014. This mellow masterpiece of Japanese ambient music has been delivered in a three vinyl pack with new remixes from some of Japan’s finest – Chee Shimizu, Yabe, Kuniyuki, as well as Tokyo DJ Max Essa. All of these tracks are absolutely beautiful and they have been staples of recent World Treasures shows and mixes.
More selections from the latest show will be covered in the coming days, including features of new albums by Chancha Via Circuita, El Malon Del Gaucho and Emanative. Also coming up is a feature on Japanese visionary Haruomi Hosono and the forthcoming packages from Light In The Attic Records, as well as an interview with Romanian music pioneer – Rodion.
Listen to the show:
Tracklist
George Earnest – A Storm
5th Notional – Song With No Words (Laughing Instrumental)
Chancha Via Circuita – Ilaló (feat. Mateo Kingman)
Copenema – Te Faz Bem (mix master 2)
Bonnie & Klein – Iris
Emanative – Dawn Child (Sunrise)
Emanative – Iyaami (ft Dele Sosimi)
Chancha Via Circuita – Kawa Kawa (feat. Kaleema)
Falz – This Is Nigeria
Ekiti Sound – Ife
Haruomi Hosono – Laugh-Gas
Haruomi Hosono – Orgone Box
Omer Coleman – So Good (Instrumental)
Pat Ca$h – Cajibre
Omer Coleman – Lovin Babe Sure Is Fun (Vocal Edit)
El Malon Del Gaucho – Molina
Pastor T. L. Barrett – Jesus, Lover Of My Soul
Pastor T. L. Barrett – Do Not Pass My By
Letta Mbulu – Kilimandjaro Take Us Higher
Bakambi N Kela – Kilimanjoro
Christy Essien – You Can’t Change A Man
Uta Bella – Enyin
George Earnest – A Sea
Christy Essien – Goodbye
Finally, posting this now that the controversy has died down a bit. Falz’s parody/pastiche/inspired take on Childish Gambino’s This Is America attracted praise and criticism in huge quantities. Positive perspectives focused on this comedian’s biting staire and social commentary. Negative perspectives focused on specific lyrics that stereotyped Nigerians, without the slightest recognition of irony or intention. It is hard to deny that art should create a reaction,
After a brief break WTM is back. Back with new content about great music from around the globe. We’re beginning with a new show today (Thursday 21st June), at 2pm (GMT), on KMAH Radio.
The show will feature new music from Bonnie & Klein, Chancha Via Circuito, Emanative, Ekiti Sound, George Earnest, as well as the best forthcoming and current reissues from Chrisy Essien, Haruomi Hosono, Omer Coleman and loads more from artists from across the world. Full show tracklisting coming very soon, as well as related content, past show updates and new interviews and features. It’s good to be back!
There will be plenty more on WTM about the fantastic Kamal Keila in due course, being the next eagerly anticipated installment on Habibi Funk. Today the label drops the title track from this forthcoming gem. Kamal Keila sung about the unity of Sudan, peace between Muslims and Christians, and the fate of war orphans. Listen:
Backed by music influenced by Arabic sounds, American funk, as well as neighbouring Ethiopia, Kamal Keila has incredibly never released a record before his magic drops on July 8th. This fantastic artist’s unique blend of the Arabic and African – jazz, folk, soul and funk – took him around Africa throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s, spreading his message of togetherness.
The title track Muslims and Christians addresses the deep-rooted religious division which became one of the main drivers for the 22-year civil war between the Muslim North and Christian South. The saxophone-infused rhythm and up-beat tempo carry lyrics of optimism: “We are one nation, Sudan is one nation.” Keila’s plea for Sudanese people to come together was his message.
In 2011, many years after Keila wrote his song, Sudan divided into the majority-Muslim Sudan and majority-Christian South Sudan. The former would spiral into economic crisis and the latter into deadly and brutal conflict.
Kamal Keila’s music embodies the complex character of his home country – both African and Arab, local and international, traditional and modern, influenced by a whole world of music – but is distinctively Sudanese.
Chip Wickham’s dogged determination has seen him remain a lynchpin of the UK jazz scene and recover from throat cancer to continue his masterful musicianship. The release date of his second album Shamal Wind draws nearer – with some fantastic singles already whetting the appetite. The UK flautist and sax player is dropping album track Snake Eyes on May 4th, following the Art Blakey-style Barrio 71. The albumShamal Wind is planned for May 25th. Fans of the artist include Gilles Peterson, Laurent Garnier, Craig Charles, Gideon Coe, Toshio Matsuura and Dom Servini.
An early lynchpin of the UK jazz scene in Manchester, Wickham has played with Matthew Halsall, Nightmares On Wax, Badly Drawn Boy, and Grand Central Records. Halsall guests on album track The Mirage. In 2017 Chip toured with both Matthew Halsall and Dwight Trible and his previous credits include Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, The New Mastersounds, The Pharcyde, and Roy Ayers
“Burundi is a country at war with itself and my family is a microcosm of this”, says the singer, who was born to a republican-leaning, high-ranking military official father and a mother who was a descendant of the royal family. When the country’s civil war began in 1993 and became an inter ethnic conflict with massive loss of life, Bimeni was shot through the chest and left on the brink of death. After later hearing that he was on the wanted list from his hospital bed in Kenya he was subsequently poisoned by injection in the hospital.
