Coco Mbassi
Sepia
Tinder
Angels do exist. It is true, and one needs no more proof of this than to pop Sepia into the CD player. The heavens will sing; your heart will tremble. Everything one has ever thought beautiful will come pouring into your ears.
Cameroonian-born Coco Mbassi is the source of that beauty. Hers is the voice of an angel. Not since Mbilia Bel or Rokia Traore have I been struck with the crystalline power of a vocalist’s larynx. Mbassi combines subtle layering of African music, American jazz and European classical music to accentuate the power reverberating from her golden throat.
Sepia is a deep, rich album from an utterly amazing artist. Mbassi has composed gem after gem that have a beauty, style, a grace seldom heard in a debut effort. Her voice washes over you, leaving mournful calm in its wake. It chokes you up, forms tears in your eyes. The woman fills you with awe and wonder. She’s a refreshing wave of contemplation. There seem to be fewer and fewer beautiful things in today’s music world. However, Sepia is definitely one of them.
Tinder Records: http://www.tinderrecords.com/
