The Almighty Groove offers Colombian rhythms and African roots on debut EP Frère d’Afrique

Frère d’Afrique is underpinned by the sound and cadence of the tambor — the drum at the heart of Colombian culture and the rhythmic backbone of cumbia music. With the remarkably deft playing of Senegalese guitarist, Mustapha (Tapha) Gaye, this is a rich and soulful collection which reflects the music and the magic of two coastal communities on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

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John Hollis started out in reggae music, followed by working with a range of African artists and went on to produce Colombian and Cuban musicians, effectively creating a series of ever-revolving chapters linked to the African diaspora. Whenever he worked with Colombian rhythms such as the cumbia he could intuitively sense within them the distant call of African roots and promised himself that one day he would profoundly explore those connections.

Over the years John facilitated collaborations between Latin and African artists, and in 2017 he finally decided to get serious and entered the studio with a group of Colombian tamboleros to record a repertoire of different rhythms from the Caribbean coast.

Once happy with the percussive structures he invited friend and colleague Tapha to contribute. Intuitively, Tapha began to lay guitars down and together he and John developed a musical vision in which bullerengue, cumbia, mapale and other rhythms meet with melodies and grooves born from mandinka, wolof and pular traditions.

The recording sessions continued. Ideas flourished. Moved by the sensibility and potential of the music created, now they are ready to take the project to the next level.

“My style is to keep it simple, understated, and maintain communion with the other musicians,” explains Tapha. “I like the shadows, I don’t impose, I look for the good energy we can share together.”

Frère d’Afrique has plenty of good energy. It’s a meandering musical journey from the shores of Senegal to the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The balance between the two creates a natural, spacious and elegant sound. The mood is both joyous and thoughtful. And of course there’s a large dose of groove.

That this journey was one taken by African slaves wasn’t lost on John Hollis. Arriving in Cartagena de Indias back in January 1992 he was touched by what he found. Fresh from a period living in Senegal, the Caribbean coast of Colombia felt remarkably like Africa. On the steps of the church of San Pedro Claver, where reputedly the Jesuit priest aided African slaves, he was struck by the realisation that this will have been one of the destinations people were brought after they left the island of Gorée, off the coast of Dakar, the place he had just left. What’s more he had travelled via Bristol, England, and so touched the three sides of the slave triangle that made up the Atlantic slave trade.

Frère d’Afrique by The Almighty Groove is out now digitally via Real World X, an imprint of Real World Records.

Listen/download the EP