Segun Awe’s African Tribal music is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but any music fan can appreciate what he is trying to do. On One Way Ticket, Awe wants to modernize the genre by including elements of jazz and R&B. He uses brass, woodwinds and a range of percussion to highlight his own saxophone playing. Awe’s background band includes an African chorus that not only sings, but dances on stage at the live shows. This will automatically draw comparisons to Paul Simon’s use of Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Graceland. Simon was able to bring the style into the mainstream, but Awe is using it to make a different sort of pop music. Although it is not a style we hear much in the US, there is something inclusive about it. On “Jaiyesimi (Let The World Have Peace)”, using a dance beat, Awe looks for change. He sings “No more fighting” over a chorus that chants, “Leave us alone.” Where sometimes it gets a little too Lite FM (“One Way Ticket”) there are other times when you feel mesmerized by it all (“Omi (Water)”). Whether you love it or hate, it is always good to try something new and Segun Awe definitely falls into that category. http://www.afritonas.com

by Shannon Carlin