JuJu – Live in Trance

Heirs to both Western rock culture and the traditional music of the African griots, the musicians of JUJU (Justin Adams and Judeh Camara) sweep us into a joyous communal trance when they play. Recorded at the festival Escales de Saint-Nazaire in 2013, this inspiring concert blends a mix of traditional African violins and electric guitars to form a seductive fusion of blues and African music.

JUJU was formed by Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara in spring 2011. Their frenzied live performances and their new musical identity developed in clubs and festivals around the world. In spring 2011 they took new material into the studio, channelling trancey rhythms from traditional Africa, leftfield jazz and the wilder end of rock. Rather than conventional approaches to studio work, JuJu sought a looser and more improvised approach.

Justin Adams is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most innovative and original guitarists. A child of punk, he has produced albums by Saharan desert bluesmen Tinariwen and collaborated with the iconic likes of Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel and Jah Wobble.

Juldeh Camara is a Gambian singer and ritti maestro who was taught to play the single-string West African fiddle by his blind father, who himself was taught directly by the Djinn. The UK-based Camara is used to vibing in ways that draw people in then send them somewhere else – to a consciousness-expanding, often mind-blowing state.

BAND:
Judeh Camara – Vocals, Ritti
Dave Smith – Bass
Justin Adams – Vocals, Guitar
Billy Fuller – Drums

Tracklisting:
1. Blue Man Returns
2. Reme Reme
3. Madam Mariama
4. Nightwalk
5. Djanfa Moja
6. Ngamen
7. Ya Takaya
8. Sahara