SHABAKA & THE ANCESTORS - We Are Sent Here By History
Impulse!
Shabaka Hutchings -Tenor Sax and clarinet; Mthunzi Mvubu -Alto Sax; Siyabonga Mthembu -Vocals; Ariel Zamonsky –Double bass; Gontse Makhene -Percussion; Umi Mogorosi –Drums;
Nduduzo Makhathini (Fender Rhodes); Thandi Ntuli (piano); Mandla Mlangeni (trumpet) on select tracks
Shabaka Hutchings is known to many as a key player in The Comet is Coming and Sons of Kemet and his strength of delivery and presence in a line up is formidable. Shabaka & The Ancestors' first album ‘Wisdom of Elders’ released on the Brownswood label unleashed a powerful force on the music world and showed an enlightened and aware musician willing to place his beliefs and tenets before the audience as well as his music. ‘We Are Sent Here By History’ is released on Impulse and is a reflection of immense changes in society – and more to come. Shabaka has referred to the album as " meditation on the fact of our coming extinction as a species. It is a reflection from the ruins, from the burning.”
Shabaka & The Ancestors came about after Shabaka visited Johannesburg to play with trumpeter/bandleader Mandla Mlangeni. Mandla connected Shabaka with a group of South African jazz musicians that Hutchings admired. After several sessions, their first album ‘Wisdom of Elders’ was made. This follow-up record reunites the group, who recorded in Johannesburg and Cape Town. There is about this album a sense of urgency, an unrelenting darker energy and it is presented as a major social commentary in the context of ancient traditions. Shabaka explains this is, “what happens after that point when life as we know it can’t continue.”
'We Are Sent Here By History' mixes African and Afro-Caribbean traditions and takes an interesting concept - that of the griot. A griot is the holder of ancient aural traditions and the keeper of them. Therefore, an important aspect is the accompanying text to this album provided by South African performance artist Siyabonga Mthembu who chants and sings on this record and composed the lyrics. Shabaka chose song titles based on the lyrics and composed poems around each title.
Hutchings says, "'We Are Sent Here by History’ is a meditation on the fact of our coming extinction as a species. It is a reflection from the ruins, from the burning; a questioning of the steps to be taken in preparation for our transition individually and societally if the end is to be seen as anything but a tragic defeat. For those lives lost and cultures dismantled by centuries of western expansionism, capitalist thought and white supremist structural hegemony the end days have long been heralded as present with this world experienced as an embodiment of a living purgatory." With that in mind, press play.
‘They Who Must Die’ opens the CD and is a powerful number with strong African rhythms and essences, yet the melody has Western influences in its structure. This conflict of styles work amazingly well as the structure plays against the primal vocals and shouts which are in the background. The anger of the words is tempered by the calmness and repetition in the sax lines. The bass and Fender section against voice shouting ‘African Time’ is different in texture and the rhythm becomes more intense, as does the sax, with the tenor soloing with short, sharp staccato notes over percussion which, you realise is blowing up a storm underneath and never stops. The second half is more intense then the first and tension builds as the tenor sax and vocals compete to be heard, rather like two parts of society in our world. Effective is the repeated, rhythmic 4 note motif which lasts 16 bars before the vocals once again screech and scream and the rhythm underneath still changes not a beat.
‘You’ve Been Called’ is atmospheric, the keyboard creating eerie, metallic sounds which echo and reverberate before the vocals begin a poem, which has a lot to do with burning and destruction, death being recognised as part of life and the dangers of praying just to ourselves and making it irrelevant. Powerful words before the rhythm section introduces a deep, rolling line, over which the now sung vocals cry their despair. The lyrics here are powered by emotion.
On 'Go My Heart, Go To Heaven' Siyabonga pays homage to his father’s favourite church song. The word ‘hamba’ (to go) is repeated and within the context of this track it’s about the point where, according to Siyabonga, "one gives in and wants out of this world. But in times of darkness there is also a call to the light and the heart". The music depicts the changes which happen over time with, deep resonant sax giving way to disharmony and then a more melodic section but alto and tenor appear to be diverging on different paths when they are both playing. The percussive middle section is fast moving and the tenor solo rises out of this like the voice of one lost, now finding courage to speak. Beautiful.
'Behold The Deceiver' begins quietly and slowly, the different elements are added to the mix to create a rich, melodic number, tempered by the sense of harmony never quite being achieved whilst 'Run The Darkness Will Pass' is packed with different rhythms , whistles and tells a narrative with the words ' Kwasuka sukela ' ( Once Upon A Time) in the background whilst the ensemble introduce Eastern rhythms over steady toms and the sax and clarinet work together over ever increasing percussion complexities before by the end the shouts of 'Vimba' ( stop him) are repeated until, eventually, the music does just that.
'The Coming Of The Strange Ones' is an interesting mix of harmonies over fast paced percussion with the tenor taking the lead after the half way mark, rising over with the drums, the rhythm of the notes matching the percussion rhythms.
'Beasts Too Spoke Of Suffering' is bonkers and strikes the sound of perfect mayhem . You can almost imagine the beasts of the earth vocalising their pain, along with mankind as the wordless vocals sing melancholically underneath.
On 'We Will Work (On Redefining Manhood)', Siyabonga sings a poem in Zulu that, when translated to English, shuns the archaic pillars of virility. From childhood, young boys are trained to suppress their emotions and suffer in silence. "This song sings from the point of the toxic masculine,” Siyabonga says. “It repeats the sentences they tell to their boys—to not cry, to not grieve and to not hurt. " The music is woven around the poem and rises to melody before it falls away into a quieter section where multiple voices can be heard in the background, the words, in translation meaning "A man doesn't get sick" , "We Will Work".
'Til The Freedom Comes Home' swings disconcertingly from melodic episodes to darker sections and Siyabonga says, " Rasta is the one black religion I grew up around. The upright man in my community was the rasta ........The inclusion of this 'black part' of the Nkosi sikelela ( a christian hymn composed in Johannesburg) is to give praise to rastafari for being the religion of black nationalism. The music works up from the start to a free flowing, heavy, sax led centre before the clear vocals can be heard and a whispery gentleness unfolds which is very spiritual in essence and ends with a whispered 'Knosi sikelela' (God Bless Us).
'Finally The Man Cried' is about the initiation ceremony of the Xhosa people where a boy becomes a man through many rituals. The story teller is speaking of how the young boy who becomes a man cried for many reasons and the final one being that his initiation hut has burned down with him in it - spiritually if not physically. The music has many repeated phrases, with variations and a heavy character, especially from the percussion. The sections where the lone voice cries over drums have a real sense of confliction.
'Teach Me How To Be Vulnerable' closes the album and is a short track, melodic reedy tenor over piano for the most part, the breathy nature of the sax imposing a sense of weakness, yet the tune is maintained and strong.
As is often the case, musicians who inject spiritual meaning into their music seem to have the edge and here, the passion and emotion comes across loud and clear. Having a strong narrative and lyrical accompaniment means the listener, having read this before hearing the music, is seeking different meanings and messages in the music. Whether they find them or not is entirely down to the individual. The music reflects experiences and observations made through both the music and poetry and a cry for change and is enhanced by reading the narrative and poetry which accompany the tracks and the underlying meaning is clear - we are losing something special, we need to think, change, now.
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
Impulse!
Shabaka Hutchings -Tenor Sax and clarinet; Mthunzi Mvubu -Alto Sax; Siyabonga Mthembu -Vocals; Ariel Zamonsky –Double bass; Gontse Makhene -Percussion; Umi Mogorosi –Drums;
Nduduzo Makhathini (Fender Rhodes); Thandi Ntuli (piano); Mandla Mlangeni (trumpet) on select tracks
Shabaka Hutchings is known to many as a key player in The Comet is Coming and Sons of Kemet and his strength of delivery and presence in a line up is formidable. Shabaka & The Ancestors' first album ‘Wisdom of Elders’ released on the Brownswood label unleashed a powerful force on the music world and showed an enlightened and aware musician willing to place his beliefs and tenets before the audience as well as his music. ‘We Are Sent Here By History’ is released on Impulse and is a reflection of immense changes in society – and more to come. Shabaka has referred to the album as " meditation on the fact of our coming extinction as a species. It is a reflection from the ruins, from the burning.”
Shabaka & The Ancestors came about after Shabaka visited Johannesburg to play with trumpeter/bandleader Mandla Mlangeni. Mandla connected Shabaka with a group of South African jazz musicians that Hutchings admired. After several sessions, their first album ‘Wisdom of Elders’ was made. This follow-up record reunites the group, who recorded in Johannesburg and Cape Town. There is about this album a sense of urgency, an unrelenting darker energy and it is presented as a major social commentary in the context of ancient traditions. Shabaka explains this is, “what happens after that point when life as we know it can’t continue.”
'We Are Sent Here By History' mixes African and Afro-Caribbean traditions and takes an interesting concept - that of the griot. A griot is the holder of ancient aural traditions and the keeper of them. Therefore, an important aspect is the accompanying text to this album provided by South African performance artist Siyabonga Mthembu who chants and sings on this record and composed the lyrics. Shabaka chose song titles based on the lyrics and composed poems around each title.
Hutchings says, "'We Are Sent Here by History’ is a meditation on the fact of our coming extinction as a species. It is a reflection from the ruins, from the burning; a questioning of the steps to be taken in preparation for our transition individually and societally if the end is to be seen as anything but a tragic defeat. For those lives lost and cultures dismantled by centuries of western expansionism, capitalist thought and white supremist structural hegemony the end days have long been heralded as present with this world experienced as an embodiment of a living purgatory." With that in mind, press play.
‘They Who Must Die’ opens the CD and is a powerful number with strong African rhythms and essences, yet the melody has Western influences in its structure. This conflict of styles work amazingly well as the structure plays against the primal vocals and shouts which are in the background. The anger of the words is tempered by the calmness and repetition in the sax lines. The bass and Fender section against voice shouting ‘African Time’ is different in texture and the rhythm becomes more intense, as does the sax, with the tenor soloing with short, sharp staccato notes over percussion which, you realise is blowing up a storm underneath and never stops. The second half is more intense then the first and tension builds as the tenor sax and vocals compete to be heard, rather like two parts of society in our world. Effective is the repeated, rhythmic 4 note motif which lasts 16 bars before the vocals once again screech and scream and the rhythm underneath still changes not a beat.
‘You’ve Been Called’ is atmospheric, the keyboard creating eerie, metallic sounds which echo and reverberate before the vocals begin a poem, which has a lot to do with burning and destruction, death being recognised as part of life and the dangers of praying just to ourselves and making it irrelevant. Powerful words before the rhythm section introduces a deep, rolling line, over which the now sung vocals cry their despair. The lyrics here are powered by emotion.
On 'Go My Heart, Go To Heaven' Siyabonga pays homage to his father’s favourite church song. The word ‘hamba’ (to go) is repeated and within the context of this track it’s about the point where, according to Siyabonga, "one gives in and wants out of this world. But in times of darkness there is also a call to the light and the heart". The music depicts the changes which happen over time with, deep resonant sax giving way to disharmony and then a more melodic section but alto and tenor appear to be diverging on different paths when they are both playing. The percussive middle section is fast moving and the tenor solo rises out of this like the voice of one lost, now finding courage to speak. Beautiful.
'Behold The Deceiver' begins quietly and slowly, the different elements are added to the mix to create a rich, melodic number, tempered by the sense of harmony never quite being achieved whilst 'Run The Darkness Will Pass' is packed with different rhythms , whistles and tells a narrative with the words ' Kwasuka sukela ' ( Once Upon A Time) in the background whilst the ensemble introduce Eastern rhythms over steady toms and the sax and clarinet work together over ever increasing percussion complexities before by the end the shouts of 'Vimba' ( stop him) are repeated until, eventually, the music does just that.
'The Coming Of The Strange Ones' is an interesting mix of harmonies over fast paced percussion with the tenor taking the lead after the half way mark, rising over with the drums, the rhythm of the notes matching the percussion rhythms.
'Beasts Too Spoke Of Suffering' is bonkers and strikes the sound of perfect mayhem . You can almost imagine the beasts of the earth vocalising their pain, along with mankind as the wordless vocals sing melancholically underneath.
On 'We Will Work (On Redefining Manhood)', Siyabonga sings a poem in Zulu that, when translated to English, shuns the archaic pillars of virility. From childhood, young boys are trained to suppress their emotions and suffer in silence. "This song sings from the point of the toxic masculine,” Siyabonga says. “It repeats the sentences they tell to their boys—to not cry, to not grieve and to not hurt. " The music is woven around the poem and rises to melody before it falls away into a quieter section where multiple voices can be heard in the background, the words, in translation meaning "A man doesn't get sick" , "We Will Work".
'Til The Freedom Comes Home' swings disconcertingly from melodic episodes to darker sections and Siyabonga says, " Rasta is the one black religion I grew up around. The upright man in my community was the rasta ........The inclusion of this 'black part' of the Nkosi sikelela ( a christian hymn composed in Johannesburg) is to give praise to rastafari for being the religion of black nationalism. The music works up from the start to a free flowing, heavy, sax led centre before the clear vocals can be heard and a whispery gentleness unfolds which is very spiritual in essence and ends with a whispered 'Knosi sikelela' (God Bless Us).
'Finally The Man Cried' is about the initiation ceremony of the Xhosa people where a boy becomes a man through many rituals. The story teller is speaking of how the young boy who becomes a man cried for many reasons and the final one being that his initiation hut has burned down with him in it - spiritually if not physically. The music has many repeated phrases, with variations and a heavy character, especially from the percussion. The sections where the lone voice cries over drums have a real sense of confliction.
'Teach Me How To Be Vulnerable' closes the album and is a short track, melodic reedy tenor over piano for the most part, the breathy nature of the sax imposing a sense of weakness, yet the tune is maintained and strong.
As is often the case, musicians who inject spiritual meaning into their music seem to have the edge and here, the passion and emotion comes across loud and clear. Having a strong narrative and lyrical accompaniment means the listener, having read this before hearing the music, is seeking different meanings and messages in the music. Whether they find them or not is entirely down to the individual. The music reflects experiences and observations made through both the music and poetry and a cry for change and is enhanced by reading the narrative and poetry which accompany the tracks and the underlying meaning is clear - we are losing something special, we need to think, change, now.
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
