Don’t Waste Your Ancestors’ Time

Guitarist and Lokkhi Terra member Phil Dawson has carved out a distinct career working with everyone from Mulatu Astatke to Tony Allen. On Don’t Waste Your Ancestors’ Time, he combines his cross-cultural influences to stunning effect, leading his band and guest musicians through a heady six-track set. Ten-minute opener ‘Ghanaba’ combines infectious Afro-Brazilian grooves with touches of funky synth, exploratory jazz flute work and Dawson’s own emotive guitar picking. Elsewhere the listener is treated to free-flowing improvisation on ‘Ilé (Part 1)’ and further experimentation on the electronic-tinged ‘Pralaya’. Dawson’s guitar work is at its most hard-hitting and aggressive on this track. Heliocentrics member Khadijatou Doyneh adds evocative spoken word vocals to ‘Shifting Sands (Mainline)’, while the singing of Biola Dosunmu and Afrobeat luminary Dele Sosimi on ‘Ilé (Iyesa)’ gives the record greater range. Dawson delivers a highly engaging album that fuses multiple influences and will speak to fans of Afrobeat, Latin grooves, jazz and more.