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Road to Essaouira

Overview

Road to Essaouira --- 2016-09-30

"Road To Essaouira is the debut album from Bologna-based Fawda Trio featuring production by London duo SwamiMillion aka LV. The album is the result of three-year journey from Bologna to Essaouira, Morocco, via London and captures the spirit of Gnawa music through the lens of African-American traditions. Recorded over a ten-day period in Essaouira in 2014, Road To Essaouira fuses Gnawa with jazz, hip-hop, electronic, and modern classical ideas for a unique take on this traditional Moroccan music, rich in history and potential. Composed using keyboards, percussion, gembri, voices and samplers the album features original tracks by Fawda Trio, two reinterpretations by SwamiMillion, and covers of traditional Gnawa and Moroccan works. In addition the album features both local Essaouira and Bologna musicians, including the acclaimed Gnawa master Maalem Soudani. Road To Essaouira was produced and mixed by SwamiMillion (aka LV) and mastered by Ian Carter (Various Production, Stick In The Wheel, Cosmic Bridge). It's a journey unlike any into the wonderful world of Gnawa music and its timeless potentials. Credits: Fawda Trio are Fabrizio Puglisi (keyboards), Danilo Mineo (percussions), and Reda Zine (guembri). SwamiMillion are Simon Williams and Will Horrocks (production). I Got The Blues and Road To Essaouira written by Fawda Trio. Money Beat and No History written by SwamiMillion. Reflections On An African Piano written by F. Puglisi. Essaouira Ganga Intro, Aisha, Youmala, and La Fou are reinterpretations of traditional Gnawa songs. Produced and mixed by SwamiMillion in Essaouira and London. Recorded by Stefano 'Stex' Carboni, Simon Williams, and Will Horrocks inside the Dar Souiri Centre Culturel. Additional recordings by Giuseppe La Bue in Bologna. Videography by Massimilliano Bartolini. Mastered by Ian Carter in London. Published by Original Cultures. Executive producers: Yassin Hannat, Alessandro Micheli, Cristian Adamo, and Laurent Fintoni for Original Cultures. Made possible with the support of Coop 56, Commune di Bologna / Settore Cultura, Association Essaouira Mogador, Dar Souiri Centre Culturel, Project 91, Dar 91 Essaouira, Mashi Mushki, Paolo Barbieri, Red One, and all crowdfunders." Taken from Original Cultures bandcamp.