New Music | McCoy Mrubata

Continuing our powerful collaboration with AfricArise, we welcome one of South Africa’s most influential figures in shaping the sound and direction of post-apartheid South African Jazz, McCoy Mrubata. Originally hailing from Cape Town’s Langa township, Mrubata grew up immersed in the many sounds of South African music, from traditional Xhosa works, to the sounds of the church, to the jam sessions of Cape Town’s Jazz master musicians. Dropping out of school in 1976 following the country’s youth uprising against apartheid, Mrubata began studying music with some of Langa’s icons like Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Ezra and Duke Ngcukana, and more. Having released 12 albums as a bandleader, and seven as co-leader in collaborative projects, Mrubata stands to this day as one of the most influential figures in South African Jazz, a veritable living legend whose work is widely admired and imitated by subsequent generations of artists.

With a growing international profile, including appearing as a featured soloist alongside Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Mrubata now prepares to release his first album with AfricArise and Ropeadope. Lullaby for Khayoyo unites American and South African artists for one of the most thoughtful, swinging, and profound albums of his already storied career.

Lullaby for Khayoyo will be unveiled on April 5, 2024. Start here to experience the music.

New Music | Maetar

A great album unfolds like a journey to a place you’ve never been. From the early anticipation as you pack up the bus, to the trials and tribulations along the way, the story unfolds as your own. And so we sit back and cue up Love Dub & The Abstract One Drop form the Los Angeles band Maetar (may'-tar).

Brothers Itai Disraeli and Hagai Lev-Shalem Izraeli grew up on the pastoral Kibutz Mishmar Haemak in Israel, which their grandfather co-founded in the 1920s in the valley of Megido. In their childhoods, it was ‘a place of wonder" - a verdant valley of fertile fields, fruit trees, and pine forests. They were taught to speak both Hebrew and Arabic, and to live in peace with their neighbors. They began making music at the respective ages of six and four as their whole family gathered for weekly jams around their grandfather’s table. In addition to his official forestry work, their grandfather was a gifted natural musician and a popular poet whose work is part of the canon of early Israeli folk music to this day.

Richard Fultineer landed in Los Angeles from his native Pennsylvania in the 1990s, just as a vibrant worldbeat scene was beginning to flower in the local clubs. He met African musicians, master drummers, kora players, brass players, and traditional dancers. He studied Yoruban drumming with master talking drummer Frances Awe, and toured with him in South Korea, Canada and the U.S. for music cultural exchange programs and performances.

With a central ethos of freedom and flow in music, Maetar effortlessly traverse vast stylistic ground as they marry smart jazz grooves with imaginative, challenging sonic explorations in psychedelia, funk, ambience, and electronica, as well as subtle classical references and world music flavors. The three musicians are virtuosic, commanding their instruments with mastery and innovation, but the true essence of Maetar is the profound connection, respect, and chemistry they share -- the spaces they leave for each other, and their deeply intuitive interplay.

Love Dub & The Abstract One Drop is out now, with the full Double collector’s CD available now. We recommend that you set aside some time for the journey, without consideration of the final destination.

New Music | Steve Dyer

Our fresh new collab with AfricArise kicks off with a legendary elder of the South African music scene. Steve Dyer was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and after his music education he joined others in refusing military subscription and lived in Botswana. It was there that he came into contact with the exile sounds blowing through the horns of Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa. In 1990 he joined the Amandla cultural ensemble of the ANC on a 7 week tour of Japan. With South African democracy on the horizon Dyer returned to South Africa in 1993.

‘Steve Dyer believes that no single culture owns the monopoly on human wisdom.  Every human life born into whatever culture, ethnicity or spiritual belief system has the same value.’

Steve Dyer has released 9 albums, including the critically acclaimed “Genesis of a Different World” in 2019. He conceptualised the Southern African supergroup Mahube, and has extensive producing experience including 6 albums for Oliver Mtukudzi (1998-2002) including the seminal Tuku music, as well as directing large and small scale concerts on the African continent and abroad.

Steve Dyer brings real experience in the journey of composing and performing music through turbulent times, keeping a steady eye and hand on the true nature of music and its importance for humanity. His new album is titled Enhlizweni - song stories from my Heartland, a chronicle of his commitment to the culture that helped forge his path. His album is the first in our partnership with City Of Gold Arts and AfricArise - an organization committed to celebrating and advocating for the music of Africa.

Enhlizweni - song stories from my Heartland will be unveiled on April 5, 2024. Options to experience the album are here.

New Music | TRIAD

TRIAD is a new project featuring Dominick Farinacci on trumpet, Michael Ward-Bergeman on accordion, and Christian Tamburr on marimba: a musical trio that came together in London to workshop a new show for the West End. Despite the physical distance between their instruments, the musicians immediately felt a strong sense of camaraderie and shared humor.

TRIAD's members draw from a wide range of influences but find common ground in their appreciation for melodic compositions. While rooted in a classical approach, TRIAD infuses their music with various styles from South America, Argentina, Brazil, and New Orleans, presenting them in a fresh and innovative manner. Their repertoire spans from Kurt Weill to Screaming Jay Hawkins to John Mayer, with each song chosen for its melodic content and integrated into the overarching TRIAD concept. The result is a musical journey that tells a story of the world, taking listeners on a captivating ride from beginning to end.

‘To define the TRIAD sound, I think of how we build these beautiful and lyrical melodies and a sound around them - a new environment for them to live in.’ (Dominick Farinacci)

Throughout their performances, TRIAD embraces humor and joy, allowing their music to disarm critical faculties and transport the audience to a place of healing. These three friends have discovered happiness, laughter, and excitement in  a world of constant challenge. By simply having fun and inviting others to share in the joy of music, TRIAD creates a memorable and uplifting experience for all.

TRIAD’s self titled debut album is available for pre-order on February 23, 2024.