Various Artists – Volume One Same Sky (Beyond Music, 2019)
Beyond Music, the innovative digital platform designed to encourage and nurture international collaborations, has released Volume One Same Sky. The cross-genre album features 23 artists from 17 countries who collaborated using the system. The artists shared ideas and generated song demos via the online platform. Beyond collected 110 submissions, and 10 winning songs were chosen. Same Sky is the first volume in what will be an annual undertaking.
In terms of production ad arrangements, Volume One Same Sky is designed to be an easy listen, appealing to a wide audience. Even though many international artists are involved, this is not exactly a world music album. You’ll find mainstream pop, well-constructed neosoul, Americana, hip hop and then various captivating songs that are rooted in tradition.
The tracks that focus on world music are the ones that attracted my attention the most, including the excellent “Saat Al Rahman” where global music meets classical, featuring the fabulous Seville-based Israeli singer Mor Karbasi; the engaging Arabic fusion of “Egyptian”; and the edgy global electronica and Indian hybridization of “Our Colors.”
The producer of the album, Larry Klein put together a band featuring highly regarded session players: Dean Parks, Ed Harcourt, Adrian Utley, Manu Katché, Clive Deamer and Dan Lutz.
The international artists include Abdullah Alhussainy (Egypt); Beshar Al Azzawi (Iraq); Mariana Baraj (Argentina); Andreas Bernitt (Denmark); Heather Bond (USA); Moshe Elmakias (Israel); Danielle Eog Makedah (Cameroon); Brice Essomba (Cameroon); Sandro Friedrich (Switzerland); Sheryl Gambo (Congo); Jivan Gasparyan Jr. (Armenia); Eduard Glumov (Kazakhstan); Mor Karbasi (Israel); Max Keller (Switzerland); Elly Kellner (Netherlands); John Lumpkin II (USA); Syssi Mananga (Belgium/Congo); Kane Mathis (USA); Kate Northrop (USA/Switzerland); Bijayashree Samal (India); Sasha Shlain (Russia); Ingrid White (Cameroon); and Msafiri Zawose (Tanzania).
More about Beyond music.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.