Isle of Magic

Who are Mop Mop? It appears they are a multi-instrumental Italian seven-piece who have a passion for African diaspora music and, as a unit, play a loose-limbed groove informed by Afro-beat, jazz, reggae and more. Bandleader Andrea Benini describes the concept behind Isle of Magic as being a dream about an island of musicians who spend their time fishing, cooking, playing and practicing voodoo rites after dark. In this sense Isle of Magic is a re-imagining of the exotica music that the likes of Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Yma Sumac popularised across the 50s, wherein the music of Latin America, Africa and Hawaii were all presented as exotic soundscapes. Exotica was aimed at giving comfortable suburbanites a taste of locations they dreamed of visiting – predating world music’s appeal by some 40 years – and Mop Mop update this fantasy by brilliantly employing Finnish-Egyptian vocalist Sara Sayed, funk trombonist Fred Wesley and Trinidadian poet Anthony Joseph. Each guest adds their distinctive touch to the Mop Mop universe, especially Anthony Joseph. He has been carving out a European-wide following in recent years and he truly excels here, his surreal, witty Caribbean tales on ‘Let I Go’, ‘Run Around’ and ‘Heritage’ deftly dancing around the groove. As with the best 50s exotica, this album neatly engages and entertains without ever sounding smug or kitsch.