In an already volatile age, 2020 stands out as a year of turmoil and division. The global pandemic led to lockdowns and other restrictions on public life. The murder of George Floyd sparked global protests against racialised police violence. And the UK government lurched from one scandal of corruption and cronyism to the next, while the thick fog of Brexit misinformation lingered.
White Juju is alto saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch’s response to this topsy-turvy period. It was recorded live at the Barbican Centre during the 2021 London Jazz Festival, and features Kinch’s jazz quartet together with the London Symphony Orchestra. On top of its wide-ranging mix of musical styles, it regularly samples audio from TV news and press conferences. That makes for a restless but compelling listening experience.
The serrated edges of Kinch’s saxophone slice through Boris Johnson’s voice on the aptly titled Chaos, as the former prime minister announces lockdown rules and police powers to enforce them. The howling horn and bumpy bass create a disjointed and distressed atmosphere.
Curated Chaos, later on the album, showcases Kinch’s fast-flow rap abilities. Violins scamper over a danceable hip-hop beat as the lyrics prophesy revolution. It’s followed by The Cycle Of Violence, a spacey and lovelorn jazz ballad stifled beneath samples of TV reports about the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. It offers an effective illustration of how media noise around so-called “culture war” topics create disturbance and distraction from the underlying issues.
White Juju is a tone poem that sweeps from rage to reconciliation. Kinch’s compositions and performance capture the tumultuous atmosphere of 2020 in sharp focus, while also providing cathartic moments of reflection. If 2023 goes off the rails, we’ll know who to call.
Discography
Intro Audience; Chaos; I. Dawn; II. The Old Normal; III. March Of The Unicorns; Snarling Beast; IV. Beneath The Myth; V. Curated Chaos; The Cycle Of Violence; VI. Sanctuary; VII. The Natural Order; Sunlit Uplands; VIII. Tall Tales Of Yesteryore; Idiots; IX. Eternal; Casting Out; X. Clarity (78.34)
Kinch (as, v); Rick Simpson (p, kyb); Nick Jura (b); Gregory Hutchinson (d); Lee Reynolds (cond); London Symphony Orchestra. London, 2021.
LSO Live LSO5110-D
