Written by Fense

My exposure to true World Music is quite limited and can easily be traced back a single year. Sure, I’ve taken intimate looks at music from around the world, but it tends to fit an alternate category, like pop or rock. True World Music, then, is music that comes from that culture with little outside influence.

So far, my favorite artist was actually the first I reviewed on FensePost—Umalali. Here we see a video for Umalali’s “Nibari”. “Nibari” means “My Grandchild”. It’s a heartfelt song and video that finds Umalali in their cultural element. It’s a unique look into a culture very different from our own.

“Nibari” can be found on The Garifuna Women’s Project, out now on Cumbancha Records. Garifuna is the culture from which Umalali hails; it can be found along the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

And, for you Seattle locals out there, you’ll be able to see Umalali perform here next week. They’ll be at Seattle’s famed Jazz Alley on September 3. You can see the rest of their tour dates below the video.

Umalali: Nibari [mp3]

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Umalai On Tour

8/29: Los Angeles (Grand Performances)
8/30: San Luis Obispo (Grace Church)
9/1: Oakland (Yoshis Oakland)
9/3: Seattle (Jazz Alley)