Cellist, vocalist, and composer Abel Selaocoe returns with Hymns of Bantu, an album that bridges centuries and continents, weaving South African traditional music with Western classical traditions. Selaocoe’s adventurous spirit is on full display here, blending ancient sounds with modern sensibilities and reimagining works by J.S. Bach and Marin Marais through a fresh, unexpected lens. Rather than bending these classical pieces to fit a new mold, Selaocoe offers an alternate perspective, revealing new depths without denaturing the originals.
The Manchester Collective provides the perfect sonic foundation, their reduced strings wrapping around Selaocoe’s cello, voice, and percussion like a second skin. Tracks like Tsohle Tsohle shine with a haunting beauty, the ensemble’s strings elevating the already poignant melody. On Dinaka, Selaocoe pushes even further into uncharted territory with guttural throat singing—a hypnotic, primal invocation that feels ancient yet immediate.
The groove is unmistakable from the first notes of Emmanuele, the album’s lead single. Built on a looping, hypnotic pulse, it’s a piece as much for the body as the mind. Fred Thomas’ piano and Alan Keary’s electric bass lock into a tight rhythm, while Sidiki Dembele and Dudù Kouate’s percussion lends the track a rich, earthy texture. It’s a song that demands to be played loud, its crescendo unfolding like a slow-burn ritual.
A master of dynamics, Selaocoe builds many of these tracks on crescendos, starting small and expanding until they burst with emotional resonance. It’s a technique that creates a constant sense of movement and growth, drawing the listener deeper with each rise and fall.
If his 2022 debut Where Is Home (Hae ke Kae) felt like a personal journey, Hymns of Bantu is something larger—a celebration of interconnectedness, where diverse traditions come together in harmony. It’s music that speaks to the head, heart, and feet in equal measure, inviting us to dance while contemplating our shared histories.
At its core, Hymns of Bantu is about connection—between people, places, and time. It’s the true meaning of harmony, not in the musical sense but as a lived experience. Selaocoe doesn’t merely perform these pieces; he inhabits them, making them feel as timeless and essential as the traditions they draw from.
Release date: February 21st, 2025
Label: Warner Classics
Rating: 8/10
