Contributing Writer
Malian hunter Boubacar Samake and Damien Vandesande, one half of the French electronic band dOP, use their Siraba project to bring the traditional sound of the Wassoulou – a river valley of West Africa – to the electronic world. They have been friends for 20 years and look to fuse Mali’s rich musical traditions with cutting-edge electronic music, always with an underlying message of love and respect for all. Their stunning work has found a perfect home on Damian Lazarus’ Secret Teachings imprint, a left-of-centre and experimental alternative to his club-focussed Crosstown Rebels, and the pair return in excellent fashion once again to drop the penultimate single ahead of their debut album release.
“Donso music is often to honour and remember great people from past and present. ‘Nase’ is a tribute to the late Nase Sangare from Garalo, a hunter family from father to son for generations and an activist for freedom and democracy. Our band is the fruit of the ancestral connection between those two families, the Samake and the Sangare, and goes back to times of the legendary master of divination, Djitoumou Balla Samake, many centuries ago in West Africa.” – Siraba.
This sublime new offering, ‘Nase’, is another seamless fusion of organic instrumentation and rich vocals with captivating house grooves. They are detailed with all manner of hand claps and acoustic strings from the Ngoni as the impassioned and spiritual vocals sung in Bambara share universal messages. It is a cultured translation of Malian music into a contemporary rhythm that really makes its mark.
Joining the package is US house legend Joeski, whose roots in the scene date back to the early 90s. A founding member of The Chocolate Factory DJ collective, he has been a vital part of the scene ever since with releases on Crosstown Rebels, Relief and an array of other heavyweight labels. His sympathetic remix elongates the groove into immersive, deep house sounds richly layered with elegant synths and soul-rousing chords that are delicate yet impactful.
Siraba ‘Nase’ drops via Secret Teachings on 20th October 2023 via physical and digital formats – buy HERE
