Press Release: November 29, 2020
November 30th, 2020
Coco Mbassi has loved vocal polyphony for over 30 years. The artist’s eclectic musical tastes were nurtured by a childhood enriched by diverse musical styles and cultures. From a very young age, Coco was introduced to Pygmy music, mainly on Cameroonian radio (in the 70s & 80s), to makossa, and other Cameroonian popular urban and traditional musical styles, to gospel, funk, soul music, American big band jazz, and to classical music. Haendel’s Messiah, one of her father’s favourites, which features instrumental and vocal polyphony, quickly became a reference for her. Roughly 25 years ago, Coco brought together a few musician friends to create a vocal band, and this nascent group - named Ashuka - started rehearsing in the Paris region. Her songs Iwiye and Mbaki, present on Coco Mbassi's album Sepia, were part of the repertoire, albeit in 100% vocal versions.
The artist planned to produce an album and go on tour. For various reasons, the group was disbanded. But the project never left Coco Mbassi's heart. For over 20 years now, the artist has been leading vocal polyphony workshops that often attract musicians and music lovers from all over the world who want to try their hand at it.
So why not share this passion of hers with the world?
Ashuka Series Vol. 1 should therefore be the first volume of a series of albums with titles containing exclusively vocals.
For more information, to get a copy for promotional purposes, or for an interview with the artist about this project, please contact
Unbounded Arts Ltd at [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnboundedArts19
Twitter: https://twitter.com/unboundedarts
The album is also available for pre-order on Coco Mbassi’s website: https://www.cocombassi.co.uk/online-shop/ashuka-series-vol-1
For more information, please contact: