Global positioning

>> Ottawa’s Souljazz Orchestra
take their Afrobeat to the world

FRIENDLY FIRE: Souljazz Orchestra

by SCOTT C

It’s really amazing to think that back in 2000, when NYC’s Antibalas dropped their first 12-inch release, there were really no visible contemporaries of Afrobeat to be found in the musical landscape. At least nothing like Antibalas anyway, who were steadily bowing to the musical mastery of Fela Kuti and the social and political agenda that drove much of his music. In 2007, we have many more incarnations of Afrobeat to choose from, whether it’s New York’s Kokolo, Montreal’s Afrodizz or Philly’s Rich Medina. Lately, there’ve been a lot of eyes and ears on Ottawa’s Souljazz Orchestra, who, since 2002, have been cooking up their own brand of jazz, funk, African and Latin music, laced with introspection, spirituality and a political conscience.

They managed to steal the spotlight for a minute last year in the U.K. when BBC tastemaker Gilles Peterson singled out their second album, Freedom No Go Die, and specifically the song “Mr. President” as one of the year’s best. “If you can believe it,” explains alto/baritone sax player Ray Murray, “we’re selling more records in France and the U.K. than we sell in Canada, and it’s all because of the push we got from Gilles.”

The band is also getting some help here at home, where they’ve released their latest on Toronto’s Do Right Records. “Right now, we’re set to play a Canadian festival just about every weekend in the summer, but John [Kong, of Do Right] is the guy behind most of the overseas dates. We hope to make it to Spain, France, Holland, Germany and the U.K. by November.”

As well as striking while the iron is hot and touring wherever they can, the Souljazz Orchestra also have a three-song EP slated for release a little bit later this year that could jumpstart their American stage debut. “We’ve written songs that aren’t really U.S.-friendly,” laughs Murray, “but we want to get them out there to the people before we tour, so we don’t get any backlash when we finally play the States live.”

With DJ Andy Williams
at le Divan Orange on
Saturday, April 21, 9 p.m., $5