Dawda Jobarteh - Sunset In Batumi

Опубликовано 4 октября 2021, 16:57

Official music video of "Sunset In Batumi" the 1st single taken from Dawda Jobarteh's forthcoming new album "Soaring Wild Lands" (28/01/22)

"In 1999 Dawda Jobarteh moved from The Gambia and settled in Denmark. Named after Gambia's first president, with whom Dawda's father, Amadou Bansang Jobarteh, was close, Dawda's heritage is solidly rooted in one of West Africa's most illustrious musical dynasties. However it is as a truly international musician that Dawda has found his place, and key to this is his willingness and enthusiasm for working with musicians from different backgrounds and traditions.

One of the first European musicians to recognise and sponsor Dawda's talent, was guitarist and doyen of Danish experimental Jazz, Pierre Dørge, and today that legacy can be heard in Dawda's frequent duo gigs with drummer Stefan Pasborg. But while Jazz may be a prominent thread in Dawda's story, it is not the only one and over previous albums his collaborators have included Shashank Subrinayam, the flautist from South India, renowned Cameroonian bassist Etienne Mbappé and Senegalese vocalist and rapper, Souleymane Faye.

On this album, the 4th to be released via Sterns Music, Dawda's musical partners are a string quartet whose instrumentation – two violins, one viola and a cello – has been an essential component of Western classical music since at least the times of Mozart. The lush sound of the “Admeta String Quartet” with arrangements scored by Dawda along with saxophonist and composer Jens Christian 'Chappe' Jensen, are on all tracks and are unique to this album.

Guest vocalist, Jullie Hjetland, a winner of the Danish Music Folk Award and first heard with Dawda on his 2nd album, appears on two songs. One has lyrics by American singer and Copenhagen resident, Deborah Herbert, while words for the other English song were written by Dutch singer and teacher, Leonie de Wit. On the opposite side of this musical spectrum lie Dawda's own arrangements of traditional Gambian repertoire; “Sunjata” and “Tutu Jara”, and all is held together by his original and engrossing instrumental compositions and performances.

Sterns Music are proud to be releasing this title in a variety of formats; as a CD album, as digital singles and with an exclusive instrumental mix of the whole album. Born of an ancient lineage, Dawda Jobarteh continues to explore and expand his musical traditions."