From Kabul to Bamako

Pretty much your standard Persian-Malian-Afghan-Kurdish-French-Ethio-jazz group, Sowal Diabi (‘Question’ and ‘Answer’ in Persian and Bambara respectively) is a collaboration between musicians from all of these backgrounds and this album is a musical pondering on the subject of exile – both physical and cultural.

United by their subject, these musicians have managed a feat of collaboration that is rarely heard from bands this eclectic. Partly, this is down to an intelligent approach to arrangement, in that it’s not the whole band playing all the time. On the mournful ‘Râhé Nour’ Aïda Nosrat’s vocals sob and soar above just a simple pad of distorted synth arpeggios, while on ‘Mirage (Ouverture)’ it’s just trumpet and târ (lute). One particular highlight, ‘Drum Talk’, is a short but intense conversation between tabla and drum kit. Yet, when the whole band come together, such as for the fourth track ‘Kera Kera’, the effect is ecstatic rather than chaotic. Each member of the group seems very adaptable too; as we hear on the distinctly Ethiopian ‘Dalila’ sung by Malian Mamani Keita, with Middle Eastern frame drum and sax accompaniment. Where else would you hear a Persian/Kurdish guitar riff, accompanied by Afghan tabla, give way to a heavy reggae beat?