Djawla
This is a first for us, in the sense that it is the first of February, the first we've heard of Switzerland-based multi-instrumentalist Anouar Kaddour Chérif, but also the first time we get to feature the Algerian mandole, an instrument resembling the more widely known mandolin. It also happens to be Chérif's first solo album, drawing on his Algerian roots yet written and recorded in exile, accompanied by Clément Meunier on bass clarinet, Hannes Junker on drums and Antoine Brochot on double bass.
Originally from Sétif, some three years ago, at the age of 24, Anouar Kaddour Chérif left his native Algeria, leading an itinerant life before settling in Switzerland, a place he describes as "a refuge for his ear and musical fingers to find multiple possibilities of expression." Steeped in the "classical musical traditions of North Africa," having performed and honed his talents with "various ensembles in Eastern Algeria," Chérif nurtured a deep "love of Arab-Andalusian music," which he now reexamines in a "contemporary jazz setting."
"Djawla" is a sublime, wonderfully crafted display of virtuosity, free-spirited and evasive, evoking dazzling, fleeting imagery, then leaving listeners to wonder, whether what they just saw, if only for moment, was even real. "[Chérif]'s singular musical vision," translates to an infinitely imaginative yet equally poignant "exploration [of the] intriguing relationship between Arabic music and jazz," that may even prove to be cathartic. "I needed to blindly attach myself to dreams, to people, to memories. It was my way of showering the little seed of hope I had left and softening the harshness of my daily life," he describes.
You can watch the official music video to "Call Of The Night" below and sample the full album in the player below. "Djawla" is out now on Riverboat Records and a true musical blessing!
More posts
Chicha Popular
Rise and shine! And we mean that quite literally. Music has always been akin to uprisings, be it on the dancefloor or on the daily rollercoaster of life. Likewise, "musical revolutions are often born from the people," a point vibrantly brought to fruition on the latest 24 (+2) track compilation by Belgian imprint Rebel Up! Records, in collaboration with iconic Peruvian labels Magnética and Discos Horóscopo. Together, they just released the resplendent "Chicha [...]
Canciones De Isaac
The versatile Venezuelan singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Isaac Sasson returns to Olindo Records, to unveil his brand-new, debut full-length release, intimately titled "Canciones de Isaac" ('Songs of Isaac'). Released last Friday, the shapeshifting collection presents 14 heartfelt compositions, inspired by Sasson's native Venezuela and his new-found home in Barcelona, Spain. Channeling the voices of his ancestors and juxtaposing them with sounds [...]
The Rootsman
Let's go back to the roots, or rather The Rootsman. Visionary Bradford-based musician, producer and, meanwhile, documentary photographer John Bolloten is a household name on the global dub circuit, whose track record speaks volumes and who gained international acclaim and recognition for a string of releases in the mid-to-late '90s and early '00s. Early last year, trusted French independent label Akuphone went about compiling a high-quality selection of his [...]
Doose Mam / Gure Yose Me
As families settled in around the tree in many parts of the world, Ghana's "number one Frafra gospel artist" returned with an upbeat and versatile 7" on Max Weissenfeldt's always stellar, Berlin-based Philophon imprint. The joyous release brings us two super and very much upbeat tracks with Alogte Oho leading the way, accompanied by explosive choruses from his powerful female choir of Lizzy Amaliyenga, Patricia Adongo and Florence Adooni (see below), alias his [...]
O.K. Jazz
'Tis the season to wind down. We're about to give the keyboards a rest and enjoy some time away from the screen, but that doesn't mean we'll leave you without some quality listening recommendations. One record you'll want to get your hands on if you can is this 2020-released compilation of Congolese boleros, rumba and similar 'slow music' styles, passionately performed by the O.K. Jazz orchestra (aka the Tout Puissant Orchestre Kinois de Jazz) and now compiled [...]
Meridiana
"We're All In The Same Dance" was the title to Cazoniere Grecanico Salentino's (CGS) beautiful split-screen dance project launched back in 2020 during the early days of the global lockdown and sending out a much-needed message of unity or as band leader Mauro Durante described, "a hymn to life, an antidote to the privations of the lockdown." The internationally acclaimed group was founded in 1975 by Daniele Durante with the intention of "reviving and [...]
Kalab Mixed Myanmar #1
Not to sound haughty, but if you didn't know, Myanmar (formerly Burma) is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia and home to over 100 ethnic groups. Since gaining its independence from British rule in 1948, the country has witnessed "rampant ethnic strife", while "its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars." More recently, Myanmar has been in the news following a military coup d'état earlier [...]
Melodi
Haunted by a melody, or several melodies actually, we keep on returning to the October-released sophomore album by London-based duo Kit Sebastian, aka Kit Martin and Merve Erdem. The captivating two-piece unveiled its second album "Melodi" on Mr Bongo a few weeks back and we are absolutely enthralled. Delivering the much anticipated follow-up to their stunning 2019 debut "Mantra Moderne", Kit Sebastian continue to raise the bar in terms of composition, [...]
Laroyê
There's no doubt in our minds that the Berlin-based Hungarian producer and multi-instrumentalist Szabolcs Bognár, better known as Àbáse, is at the top of his class. We had an inkling when we first reviewed his 2019-released debut EP "Invocation" (HHV / Cosmic Compositions) and later rejoiced at the second serving "Yoru / Eko", two equally remarkable outtakes from the EP's recording session. Earlier this year, he collaborated with Zeitgeist Freedom Energy [...]
Life Is Dead
No idea what's up with all these owls, but this is the second LP we're posting in a span of two months that features an owl on its cover (see also Monsieur Doumani's "Pissourin"). And thus we travel from sunny Cyprus to the supposedly not as sunny town of L'Aigle in Normandy, home to Cannibale, who just released their third album on Born Bad Records today. The five-piece outfit produces an irresistible blend of "exotic rock", combining sounds from the [...]
The Lost Tapes
Six years have passed, since the cross-cultural and cross-generational Owiny Sigoma Band released its thrilling third album "Nyanza" on Brownswood Recordings, presenting a collaborative project rooted in cultural exchange: "A coming together of traditional East African musical philosophies and a more electronically-inclined London sensibility," the release notes describe, a sound marked by "intricate percussive frameworks" and "impressive musical chemistry." [...]
Acoustic Appeal
Believe it or not, our very own Jewish Monkeys are back for more. After a long, forced hiatus – a common side-effect of the global pandemic – the raucous Tel Aviv outfit has just announced a quick visit to Germany, including three live shows, strictly unplugged!
On the heels of their latest album release arriving at the tail end of 2019, the group had scheduled an extended "Catastrophic Life" tour that tragically fell short due to international lockdown [...]