Music Recommendation: Sampha- KORA SINGS

Over the past five-plus years, there’s a good chance you’ve heard something that has involved soulful British singer Sampha, but you might not have known it- he’s made significant contributions working with a number of high-profile artists (i.e. SBTRKT, Drake, Kanye, FKA Twigs, Frank Ocean, & Solange). For a multi-talented musician (he also writes, produces, and plays the piano and keyboards) with such dynamic range though, Sampha’s solo output to this point has been extremely limited.

That has changed now with the release of his long-overdue and critically acclaimed debut album Process. It’s a very personal, moody singer-songwriter record with electronica and alternative R&B elements that finds Sampha introspectively reflecting on the grief, isolation, and hardships he has endured. Most of the tracks on the album tend to stay on the somber side of things to maintain that feeling of sadness and regret, but if there’s one track that stands out from the rest in this regard, it’s the freewheeling “Kora Sings.”

Fittingly, “Kora Sings” displays a heavy African influence that is immediately distinct and recognizable. The kora, a West African harp, takes center stage, and after serving as the only real instrument during the first 45 seconds, it’s joined by a melodic African flute (that sounds fantastic) as the song gradually picks up steam and settles into a groove. This organic energy extends into the next section, which houses an array of off-beat polyrhythms that are punctuated by short bursts of high-pitched noise. The electronics and percussion at first seemingly come in out of nowhere, only to continue for the remainder of the song and then seamlessly mesh with the kora and flute once they return during the chorus. The coalescence of the UK garage-inspired production and the African instruments creates a wonderful pairing of synthetic sounds and live-instrumentation.

Meanwhile, Sampha’s impassioned falsetto and vulnerable vocal performance paints an impressionistic picture of a dialogue being remembered or exchanged between a dying mother and her son, as he pleads, ”You've been with me since the cradle/ You've been with me, you're my angel/ Please don't you disappear." Complimenting him is a female singer who lends her voice to provide some lovely background harmonies toward the end of the song, as part of a cinematic outro that culminates in the sound of a rainstorm. With that, the song quickly comes to a gloomy close, but even still, the vivid musicality of the prior three minutes remains in mind. As with most great art, “Kora Sings” realizes both the beauty and heartbreak embedded in the human condition. Listen to "Kora Sings" and Sampha's full album Process now on Spotify, iTunes, or Apple Music.

#Music