Origines

For his second full-length album, Marseille-based urban poet Ahamada Smis has pointed his musical compass towards the country of his birth, the Comoros. Comoran music takes influences from Arabic, Bantu, Swahili and Malagasy styles, and Origines sheds light on this multiplicity. As the culmination of Smis’ workshop tour of the Comoros Islands, La Réunion and Tanzania, the album presents a snapshot soundtrack of the Indian Ocean. It was recorded with musicians from each stop on the tour, resulting in an interesting mix of local styles, all bound by Smis’ socially conscious poetry.

The collaborations with Zanzibari taarab musician Mohamed Issa Matona are perhaps the strongest on the album; his use of Arabic instruments such as qanun (zither) and oud alongside their Comoran equivalents, the dzenzé and gaboussi, provide intriguing comparisons.

The traditional styles of the Comoros and surrounding cultures meld with the cool, rocky grooves of Smis’ band surprisingly well. Smis’ poetry works perfectly within this musical landscape, whether weaving naturally with the music or standing starkly away from it. Origines is not only capable of showcasing traditional music from an oft-overlooked culture, but also helps to delve into music's history while still being, most importantly, a very pleasing album.