Alma Negra Love Kenya
Entitled “Harambee”, the new EP from Basel-based groove collective Alma Negra was released on 1 July 2022 via their own Alma Negra imprint. Formed around a core trio of the Figueira brothers, Dersu and Diego, with roots in Cape Verde, and Spaniard Mario Robles, the collective draws on the talents of a variety of contributors, depending on the task at hand. Here’s what their bio tells us about their outlook: “From Adriatic beaches to Berlin sweatboxes, either as a DJ duo or live act, the collective make definitive musical links from the golden age of New York house, via the axis of jazz and dance that emerges from Cuba or Brazil to the West Coast of Africa, through the Middle East and beyond.”
“Harambee” means “let’s pull together” in Swahili. The word is a plea to our better nature in the wake of the Covid disaster. It also reflects the Figueiras’ love of Kenya, a country they have visited many times. The title track serves up a nostalgic seventies disco groove; “La Gozadera” demonstrates the band’s love of la clavé, Cuban style; “When We Used to Dance” returns to a funky disco groove with a hint of Afrobeat; a remix of “Harambee by Lyon-based Voilaaa completes the EP.
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