Global Fusion Sounds of the Decade
by Benedict Croft
You can listen to the full playlist on Spotify while reading the article.
St Germain – St Germain
After a lengthy break from music, the French house and nu jazz producer Ludovic Navarre returns to the scene with this refreshing project fusing Malian instrumentalists with deep French house grooves. The track ‘Sittin’ Here’ leads with the powerful Wassoulou vocalist Nahawa Doumbia and Griot guitarist Guimba Kouyate who transcend Navarre’s energetic percussive samples underlined with silky sub-bass riffs to create an overall sound that is subtle yet deeply funky, a sound rarely achieved by global house producers. The most impressive instrumentalism occurs in ‘Hanky Panky’ between ngoni players Sadio Kone and Guimba Kouyate who are able to merge individually complex melodies together creating a texture that appears initially intimidating but that settles into a rich groove pushed forward by recurrent jazz rhythms. Navarre in St Germain demonstrates his ability to create an organic sound by knowing when to take a step back and allow the instrumentalists to simply play, producing the tracks around their musical input to the extent where deep house appears as the natural ally of traditional Malian music.
Mogoya – Oumou Sangare
Wassoulou pioneer Oumou Sangare educates the global music scene in Mogoya, creating roots music that sounds intrinsically contemporary. It is hard to tire of the syncopated funk beats which reference the pop Malian rhythms of the 1980s and 1990s, which Sangare herself helped develop, in a fresh and highly energetic reinterpretation. In true Wassoulou style, Mogoya is a dance music album at its heart, brushed with refreshing electronic elements enabling the production of a later remixed album in 2018 which saw the likes of Natureboy Flako, St Germain and Tony Allen turn their hand to Sangare’s music. This modern sound is best exhibited in ‘Kamelemba’ where delicately reverbed vocals are interspersed with vintage synth harmonies and occasional sampling, all whilst the traditional instruments of the ngoni and calabash lay an irresistible acoustic groove. Sangare is not one to shy away from the political and this album is testament to that, with her songs discussing themes surrounding the global refugee crisis and the current tense political situation in Mali. Mogoya reaches out for unity through dynamic musical collaborations and pointed social critique to create a work that feels, in every sense, contemporary.
Banglarasta – Lokkhi Terra and Shikor Bangladesh All Stars
Banglarasta is the outcome of the world music collective Lokkhi Terra, led by Kishon Khan, combining with Bengali and Baul folk group the Shikor Bangladesh All Stars to produce some of the most interesting global fusion sounds of the decade. Put simply, this project combines heavy dub reggae with the classic folk instrumentation of West Bengal and Bangladesh. In ‘Shaddho Ki Re Amar’ the khol drum and taal cymbals set a traditional rhythmic cycle with characteristic dotara melodies accenting Bangla vocals, whilst deep bass lines, skanking guitars and tight horn riffs push the folk sounds into roots reggae. This short EP exhibits a blend barely explored anywhere else and makes you question why Bengali folk as a musical tradition is so untouched by the global fusion scene.
Yemen Blues – Ravid Kahalani
Ravid Kahalani, the founder of Yemen blues, is an Israeli musician with Yemenite parents, living between New York and Tel Aviv, known now for his creative integration of sounds from numerous traditions including Yemenite folk, Jazz, Afrobeat and Middle Eastern takht. This album announced Kahalani onto the scene, with critics unable to satisfactorily place its musical origins or influences in a way that allowed it to transcend genre, surely the ultimate aim of any fusion music. Kahalani sings in Yemeni Arabic alongside Ahmed Alshaiba, a Muslim Yemenite oud player making Yemen Blues more than simply a musical collaboration but a cross cultural exploration between Jewish and Islamic traditions. In ‘Jat Mahibathi’, Alshaiba opens with a dūlāb that references typical takht traditions, yet, this is instantly confused by the entry of the darbuka percussion, which, although sounding intrinsically Arabic, feels rhythmically more North African. Then enters Kahalani’s distinctive vocals which provide great intensity through dramatic pitch changes and layered voices which are softened only by brass and flute lines that eventually break out into a trumpet solo, giving the piece an overall jazz-like feel. Yemen Blues is by no means limited to this sound however, with tracks such as ‘Trape La Verite’ referencing folk styles that could be heard from the Scottish Highlands to the Sarawat Mountains of Yemen. It is this diversity which creates a work, that, despite drawing on numerous ancient musical traditions, sounds entirely unique.
Land of Gold – Anoushka Shankar
After a few years of Shankar re-exploring the roots of her music, Land of Gold signalled the return of the electronic and dub-influenced sitar-playing that originally positioned her as a key innovator in the global fusion scene. Shankar’s release of the Home in 2015 was a showcase of her virtuoso ability and deep understanding of traditional Indian raag. This appears to have inspired Land of Gold, which exhibits her most impressive instrumentalism yet. ‘Crossing The Rubicon’ is able to combine pop-like sitar hooks with dynamic passages of intense improvisation contrasted with the warm tones of the hang played by Manu Delago. Later in the track, Shankar opens the floor to shehnai player Sanjeev Shankar who, backed with aggressive drum samples, constructs a haunting war cry that is still able produce a distinctively South Indian sound. The entirety of Land of Gold is deeply political with every track crying out against injustice, often simply through instrumentals and occasionally enhanced with spoken and sampled vocals such as in ‘Remain The Sea’ and ‘Dissolving Boundaries’ which feel almost cinematic and demand sincere reflection. Shankar is an artist at the height of her craft, able to integrate tradition, progression and politics in a way that feels entirely natural and necessary to her sound and, consequently, places her as a giant in her field.
