Water of Life

Water of Life is the third album from Afro-Finnish collective Maajo, a group who have built a reputation for melding a diverse array of musical styles reflective of modern Tamper; a decidedly cosmopolitan hub in Western Finland. The sextet, joined for this album by two new members (Zambian vocalist Waina and the talented Gilbert K on drums) write inviting and attractive songs that are sung in Nyanja, English, Mauritian Creole, Wolof and – of course – Finnish.

Its self-titled opener features some dreamy guitar lines and bewitching warm textures, setting the scene for the record as a whole. Its successor, ‘Unelmissani’, includes an abundance of alluring vocal layers, catchy synth lines and Tony Allen-esque grooves. There is a tendency for over-production. Tracks like ‘Ti Mamzel’ veer into the overly reverb-laden commercial sheen of worldbeat records from the 90s, while ‘Better Days’’ cheesy refrain, ‘I want better days, like Saturdays,’ comes up short. Water of Life's best moments are more muted. ‘Mandzi Ya Moyo’ sprawls across seven minutes, with driving drums and soaring interventions from Waina. ‘Èwañ’ is similarly subtle, with Ismaila Sané's voice cascading across a delicate patchwork of percussion and gorgeous synth swells.