Album "We Belong"

Sinkane: electro-funk for understanding the world

On "We Belong", Sinkane attempts to transfer the communal power of the political "black music" of the 60s and 70s into the present with funk and electronics.

(Bild: City Slang, Chloe Morales-Pazant, Krone KREATIV)

Funk, soul, disco, electronic, R&B and reggae - if you want to cover the full range of "black music", you have to be eclectic. This is what London-born Sinkane does on his eighth album "We Belong". A socio-political manifesto for tolerance and community, but one that can easily get lost in the complexity.

Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab has been on the road in a big way for some time now. The 41-year-old is the musical director and zampano of the Atomic Bomb! Band, which first set itself the task of making the music of Nigerian funk legend William Onyeabor accessible to younger generations ten years ago. Apart from a six-song LP for Record Store Day 2017, there has been no sign of life to date, but greats such as Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), David Byrne (Talking Heads), Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip), Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange and Pharaoh Sanders have gathered under Gallab's imaginary conductor's baton. Gallab also thinks big under his alter ego name Sinkane. Since 2007, he has been regularly releasing albums under this name, which deliberately do not choose between soul, electronic, funk, trip-hop, fusion, reggae and world music and bring a new color to the scene. The most recent works 'Life & Livin' It' (2017) and 'Dépaysé' (2019), on which Sinkane increasingly focused on global and socio-political issues, stand out in particular.

Identification through differences
"In these times, we unfortunately have to deal with a lot of hatred," he tells the Krone in an interview, "we all look different, have different skin colors and speak different languages. But these differences should help us to understand the world as a whole better. Whether I live in Vienna, New York City, France or Sudan should never make a difference. We are all a colorful and exciting bunch of individuals who can identify with each other through all our differences." Sinkane has been working on his eighth album "We Belong" for almost five years. Last fall, he gave the first sign of life since 2019 with the advance single "Everything Is Everything", which marked the first slight change in direction. More than ever, the musician, who was born in London to Sudanese parents, jumps between genres and tries to unite the history of black music as congruently as possible.

Sinkane himself calls the work "a love letter to black music" and makes no secret of the fact that the tried and tested motto "less is more" may apply to many, but certainly not to him. The aforementioned single "Everything Is Everything" can be located in gospel, "Rise Above" features familiar Afro beats, the title track goes into 70s funk with Sly Stone influences and "Another Day" is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's heyday. "I have a very open mind. A lot of people can relate to my music because they feel the same way I do. My music wanders through worlds and people's narrow-mindedness is often because they always stay in one spot. I sincerely hope that more and more people realize that it is good and healthy to cut the roots and set out to get to know the world. Even if this journey only takes place in your head."

Teamwork makes the dream work
After its predecessor "Dépaysé" (meaning "foreign" or "lost") dealt with the gloomy feelings of a latent homelessness, Sinkane was led to focus on community with "We Belong", not least due to the global uncertainty of the pandemic. Community also in terms of the personnel involved. Sinkane and Amanda Khiri, who serves as co-lyricist on most of the songs, have passed notes across the digital divide. Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Ismael Reed, scraps of poetry. The two turned these nocturnal ideas into fully realized compositions. Casey Benjamin, a multi-instrumentalist who has already worked with jazz pianist Robert Glasper, has put his stamp on several pieces. Jazz trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley can be heard on three songs. Soul singer Bilal lent his voice. Up-and-coming artists such as singers Ifedayo Gatling from the Harlem Gospel Travelers, Tru Osbourne, Hollie Cook and STOUT are also part of this community.

"Music makes me feel connected to other people. When my bandmates smile at me after a great concert or fans thank me for a performance, it's the best feeling in the world. I currently live in New York, but I can adapt very quickly. Sometimes it's enough to spend five hours somewhere in the world that you've perhaps never been before. It can still feel like you've always been there." Years ago, Sinkane allowed the political and social side of his life to take hold. He no longer wants to give the darkness too much space. "The world has become such a hard place. It feels like someone is constantly slapping you in the face. But I also want to be able to enjoy time with my family and friends, I need escapism. The realization that I can also put that into songs has made my life a lot better."

Slightly bogged down in places
Sinkane's eternal favorite musicians such as Bob Marley, Sly Stone, Miles Davis and above all Marvin Gaye find more space on "We Belong" than ever before. In his "black music eclecticism", the artist meanders nimbly and skillfully, but sometimes wants too much of a good thing and sometimes gets bogged down in ramshackle electronic keyboard sounds or demands so many sub-styles from the songs that you lose your bearings at times. The artist's intrinsic desire to transfer the political appeal of music from the 60s to the present day and make it his own is a little too bold in places. But "We Belong" also comes from the heart of a person for whom merely muddling on in a fragile society is not enough. This makes this work particularly valuable and heartfelt, despite the exhausting moments. Let's hope for a European tour in the fall.