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Acclaimed saxophonist, philosopher, bandleader, and musician Shabaka Hutchings: Afrikan Culture

Acclaimed saxophonist, philosopher, bandleader, and musician Shabaka Hutchings, now professionally known as Shabaka across all solo musical efforts, announces his first major label solo body of work, Afrikan Culture (impulse!), out on May 20th. Entirely written by Shabaka the eight-track digital only EP showcases him on various wind instruments and focuses on the aural meditative space. The first track off the introspective set is “Black meditation” and you can listen to the contemplative song and pre-order the EP here. The accompanying visualizer can be watched here.

“Afrikan Culture was made around the idea of meditation and what it means for me to still my own mind and accept the music which comes to the surface, ” says Shabaka. “It features various types of Shakuhachi flutes and a new technique of creating that I’ve been experimenting with in layering many flutes together to create a forest of sound where melodies and rhythms float in space and emerge in glimpses.”

Produced by Shabaka and frequent collaborator Dilip Harris, Afrikan Culture takes you on a sonically healing journey. Immersed in a sea of sound, diverse instruments that include the Shakuhachi (a Japanese end-blown flute), a Kora (a stringed instrument used extensively in West Africa), a Mbira (a “thumb piano” from Africa), and a music box envelopes the listener in a soothing sound that lingers on well past the last played note.

Afrikan Culture Tracklist:

1. Black meditation

2. Call it a European paradox

3. Ital is vital

4. Memories don’t live like people do

5. Ritual awakening

6. Explore inner space

7. The dimension of subtle awareness

8. Rebirth

kora (Kadialy Kouyate)

harp (Alina Bzhezhinska)

guitar (Dave Okumu)

Photo: Gareth Jarvis

Artwork: Ana Pryor
 
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