Seckou Keita to drop new album in October
Senegalese kora veteran Seckou Keita’s new album, Homeland (Chapter 1), will be released on 18 October, according to UK label Hudson Records.
The 12-track collection was recorded and mixed across Senegal, the UK, Belgium and Germany, beginning in 2022 with a mixture of four languages –Mandinka, Wolof, English and French – from an array of guests and collaborators, including Daara J Family, Abdoulaye Sidibé, Moussa Ngom and Hannah Lowe.
Heralded by the singles ‘Ni Mala Beugué’, ‘Chaque Jour’ and ‘Nay Rafe’ and boasting catchy pop and dance tunes as well as intimate and acoustic pieces, the project blends traditional music and rhythms with pop sonorities, embracing Afropop, urban, hip hop, and spoken word, all led by the kora.
Thematically, the project takes listeners on a surprising journey from past to present. Questioning the very idea of what ‘home’ means, Seckou Keita explores his own identity and relationship with his adoptive UK and native Senegal.
The story behind the album began in 2017 when Keita started a series of pan-African collaborations, including a track with Senegalese superstar Baaba Maal. That collaboration, and the global context through 2020, created a desire for Keita to develop a deeper understanding of this musical exploration.
“Since the events of 2020, my mind and heart have been actively seeking the answers to so many questions in relation to my UK-adopted home and my Senegalese native one,” Keita said. “Two lands, two homes, and all the places I regularly visit in between; each place embracing family, friends, music and stories.
“At the heart of Homeland is storytelling, an essential part of the griot tradition, which has been shaped over centuries and is an integral part of my life and my culture. Above all else, we are the preservers of stories and history.”
Thus, the album begins and ends with pieces written and delivered in the traditional ‘griot tradition’ style, beautifully rendered by the voice and preserver of Mandinka culture, Abdoulaye Sidibé. For Keita, it was important to go further and make sure that words, poetry in particular, had a special place and weight within the album. This is where Hannah Lowe entered with her special Deportation Blues piece, along with Zena Edwards with her quietly but powerfully delivered Reflections.
The album also comes with a 44-page colour booklet with astonishing street-life photos from young Senegalese artist Taylor Kitoko.
Meanwhile, Keita, whose discography already spans 14 albums and has earned him prestigious laurels like multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, will be on the road across the UK and Belgium from 24 October to 21 November in support of the new project.
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