Shabaka - Of The Earth
âOf the Earthâ was entirely written, produced, performed and mixed by Shabaka. Itâs a deeply personal album which establishes Shabaka as a new form of instrumentalist/producer and shows the musical range that connects his dance based work from groups Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming to the intricate textural sound world of his recent solo works (âPerceive its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Graceâ, âAfrikan Cultureâ) . Beats and loops made on portable devices whilst on the road lay a foundation for choral flute melodies to soar within. Sequences of electronic rhythms outline a story of diasporic progression and words contextualise the recordâs lyrical framework. Shabaka raps on the album - âIâve never rapped before but was actually inspired by AndrĂŠ 3000âs courage in exploring new dimensions with fearlessness and sincerity; I decided to find my voice on this albumâ. A self imposed saxophone hiatus ended mid 2025 with a performance for South African drum maestro Louis Moholoâs memorial concert. This album marks Shabakaâs first recording made after a year and a half not playing the saxophone and a reckoning as to what his time on flutes primarily has shown him to be the future for his relationship with the instrument. Shabaka says of an initial inspiration for the album - âDâangeloâs Brown Sugar was the first CD I bought and it sparked a lasting curiosity about the emotional possibilities allowed by the self produced and performed album. This record is my celebration of freedom in creative self expression. Before the pandemic I could only play the clarinet and saxophone and knew nothing about music production (or how to play the flute), so this has been a journey of learning and a reflection on the music thatâs been created as a result.âÂ
