Migration

There is something evangelical about the Okavango African Orchestra. Comprising African-born musicians living in Toronto and Montréal, their persuasive fusing of hitherto largely exclusive musical cultures is an attempt to create an ‘Africa without borders.’ Aptly named after Botswana’s mighty delta – that fertile meeting place on the edge of the Kalahari Desert – their third album Migration features at least six languages and gleefully borrows, plunders and collides influences and sounds from across Africa. The admirable naivety of their approach is underlined by seven unambiguously titled tracks that move fluidly from urgent, pleading opener ‘Kele Magni (War is Bad)’ to the placatory warmth of closer ‘Ngaisangane (Let it Unify)’. En route, ‘Selam Kiblaki (Choosing Forgiveness)’, ‘Dukundane (Love One Another)’ and ‘Kairo (Peace)’ serve as telling signposts to the manifesto at work. With lyrics written by different members, the octet claims it was wholly serendipitous that each song had an edifying theme. Either way, its joyful camaraderie and tight but lively way with things is altogether successful, with not a voice out of place or a note that jars. Swirling through the celebratory communal sound alongside the guitars, percussion and vocals can be heard West African kora and djembé, Ethiopian krar, Zimbabwean mbira and Senegalese tama. A fragrant potpourri indeed.