Mawimbi – Kakraa (feat. K.O.G) [Mawimbi Records]

MAWIMBI_Kakraa

Is that the stove boiling we hear? No. That “Bubbling” you hear is the debut album from French collective Mawimbi on their self-titled label. The Paris-based group have garnered a reputation for releasing some of the most forward-thinking afro-inspired cuts over the past 8 years. They’ve opened our ears to musicians such as Afriquoi, Loya and Onipa and have remixed a handful of fantastic artists themselves. Now, they are releasing their own album of original material. The title of the album is “Bubbling” and it refers to the “many ideas, encounters and projects launched by the collective over the past eight years”. The album pays homage to many different styles such as afrobeat, highlife, South African bubblegum pop, Malian music, maloya while hybridizing these genres with others from across the Atlantic such as cumbia, Caribbean dancehall and dub to name a few.

Today we’re premiering a cut from the album entitled “Kakraa” which features K.O.G (one half of Onipa). The influence here is wholly 70’s highlife, merged with some more modern disco flavours sprinkled throughout. This is the third single premiering from the album and is a tribute to the African diaspora, singing about being able to go back to the Motherland one day. The groove is impeccable and vocals are perfectly complemented by the instrumentation throughout. We can see this getting played out at your favourite daytime parties (which we can finally have some hope about) but also just listening to it in the comfort of your own home. This album has that quality throughout where all the tracks transcend the dancefloor and are versatile pieces of music able to stand on their own.

We’re stoked about this album and you should be too!

Pre-order.

Igor B.