Barungwa

Outernational collaboration has always been the beating heart of new music. Without this lifeblood, musical innovation would quickly keel over and die. Picture the scene: 17th Century Rio; an African gang bangs out an Abakwa beat while a Portugese joins in on trombone. 'No, no; these two will never go together!' the 'bone player says and so Samba would have been strangled at birth.
 Forgive my bias, but I don't think it's any coincidence that London and England are largely recognised as the centre of 1990s musical innovation and cultural fusion. So, when Robert Trunz asked if I could pull together three of London's finest with three of South Africa's best new players, I jumped. London grooves and South African jazz melodies? Definitely!
But who? In London, no one plays 'tribe' upright bass like Ike Leo. We had worked together for over a year as residents at Gilles Peterson and James Lavelle's 'That's How It Is' sessions. On upright, Ike is a monster.  Chris Bowden was a frequent guest at these sessions, plus we'd played together before in Palmskin Productions and Straight No Chaser's 'Skoolin' Da Jazz' tour of Japan. He is my favourite alto player in London.
I'd met all three South African players on the Outernational Meltdown expedition to South Africa in October, 1994: Shaluza Max Mntambo, originally from KZN, has quickly established himself as one of South Africa's finest singers with a range, power and edge that make him unique. Moses Taiwa Molelekwa's educated ear for melody is a trademark in South African jazz. Still barely 22, Moses' playing sparkles with intelligence and maturity. Capetonian singer/songwriter, Dave Mxolise Mayekana  is a man with whom I simply had to play again. His guitar is his second voice and it delicacy and purity which seemed the perfect foil for Max's upfront passion.
The first time all six of us met was on the first day of recording. We got set up and got to work. The joy and celebration of 'Siyahamba' was the first result. We played non-stop for a week, arranging the songs on the fly until we had the foundations for about 12 tracks. By then it was time for some reinforcements: percussion master and elder, Mabi Gabriel Thobejane was called. He hits the drums HARD, with sticks. Simpiwe Matole from the Cape Town based group Amampondo, probably the best marimba player in Cape Town, also came along to help the vibe.
 Once Mabi and Simpiwe were through, we filled the second week recording brass and lead and backing vocals. Writing and recording the whole project took just fifteen days: it was intense, but it was great fun. I can't say there weren't difficulties, even tensions, but we came out knowing that this is the start of a project which can only grow. Put six songwriters in a room, with different characters, different backgrounds, and listen to the friction of fusion ignite...
 Andrew Missingham, June, 1995.