Nicola Conte - Umoja [CD]

Format: CD
Catalogue No.: FARO239CD
Barcode: 5065007965436
Release Date: 07 Jul 2023
Genre: Jazz

Expressing unity, oneness and harmony in Swahili, Umoja coalesces universal feelings through the multifaceted global music Conte has spent his life studying and researching.

Having released music with Blue Note, Impulse! and Schema records, Nicola Conte's relationship with Far Out began over a shared love of hard-edged bossanova and swinging samba-jazz. Between 2009-2013 Nicola Conte compiled five volumes of forgotten 60s Brazilian music for his Viagem series. He then released his critically acclaimed Natural album: a collaboration with vocalist Steffania Dippiero, featuring jazz standards alongside covers of lesser known Brazilian gems.

The music of Umoja draws on the deep-dug 70's independent spiritual and free jazz sounds, private-press soul records, and African and Afro Caribbean rhythms in Conte's collection. But he equally recognises his debt to many of the decade's more celebrated musical icons, such as North American cosmic jazz masters Lonnie Liston Smith and Gary Bartz, and Afrobeat originators Fela Kuti and Tony Allen.

Since founding the Bari-based bohemian cultural movement and club night Fez at the dawn of the nineties, Conte has proven to be a pillar of the contemporary, international soul-jazz scene. Composed alongside his long-time friend, guitarist Alberto Parmegiani, Conte brings together a dazzling host of guests from around the world, including award winning British vocalist Zara Mcfarlane, acclaimed Finnish saxophonist Timo Lassy, french vibes player Simon Mullier, US vocalist Myles Sanko, rising South African drummer Fernando Damon, former Roy Hargrove bassist Ameen Saleem and Serbian fute sensation Milena Jancuric.

Proudly revivalist, Umoja was recorded direct to analog tape, with just two takes for each track.

CD Tracks:
1. Arise (feat. Zara McFarlane)
2. Dance Of Love And Peace Part 1 (feat. Bridgette Amofah)
3. Life Forces (feat. Zara McFarlane)
4. Flying Circles (feat. Bridgette Amofah)
5. Freedom & Progress (feat. Zara McFarlane)
6. Soul Of The People (feat. Bridgette Amofah)
7. Heritage
8. Into The Light Of Love (feat. Miles Sanko)
9. Umoja Unity
10. Dance Of Love & Peace Part. 2 (feat. Bridgette Amofah)
11. Arise (Instrumental)
12. Into The Light Of Love (Instrumental)