S IS FOR SIERRA LEONE and U is for UNITED STATES

Kondi Band is a collaboration between a sierra leonean man Sorie Kondi, who plays kondi, a thumb piano, and a US producer of sierra leonean heritage, DJ Chief Boima. Their music may or may not have put me in a trance. It’s so raw, shamanistic and powerful, due to Sorie Kondi’s beautifully dark gift, while DJ Chief Boima makes it utterly contemporary, danceable and incredibly catchy. Frankly, I was so impressed, that when I googled what a thumb piano looks like afterwards, I couldn’t believe it. I had recently touched a thumb piano somewhere, and even tried playing it, with just a few dull notes emitting from the instrument. That such rich music can come from something this small was definitely a big surprise. (You can tell I know nothing about music, huh?) My only grievance with this album is that it doesn’t come with its dark dancefloor, where I could connect with spirits to the full extent of the album’s sorcery.

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