Introduction

We had the pleasure of interviewing Sinkane over Zoom video! Sinkane (aka Sudanese-American musician Ahmed Gallab) announces his upcoming album We Belong, out April 5. His first full-length release since Dépaysé in 2019, We Belong is Sinkane's "love letter to Black music," tak ing cues from gospel, Afrobeats, 70s funk, foundational soul of the rhythms of Sinkane's native Sudan and more. Alongside the album announcement, he shares a new single "How Sweet Is Your Love" and its accompanying music video. The upcoming project We Belong, tells introspective–and sometimes painful–stories of the Black diaspora with an underlying current of love and hope for the future. "How Sweet Is Your Love" marks a celebratory, funk-infused high point of the project. Set against heavy disco synth instrumentals and riffing strings, Sinkane encourages listeners to cast away their worries and embrace the current moment. "'How Sweet Is Your Love' is about remaining in the present and feeling all of your feelings as fully as possible," Sinkane comments. "It dares you to prove the sweetness of your love, to your loves!" For this project, Sinkane assembled the who's who of musicians and collaborators which include Beastie Boys producer Money Mark, jazz fusion maestro Casey Benjamin, guitarist/producer Mikey Freedom Hart, Phony Ppl's Aja Grant, percussionist Meia Noite, organist Shedrick Mitchell, former bandmate Amanda Khiri and singers Bilal, STOUT, Tru Osborne and Hollie Cook. He has also created an all-star six piece band called The Message, who support Sinkane live. Band members include: Ronnie Lanzilotta (bass), Dave Palazola (drums), Patt Carr (keys), Asher Kurtz (guitar), Ifedayo (vocalist) and Jessica Harp (vocalist). The first single off the project, "Everything is Everything," featuring vocalist Tru Osborne, is an acute reflection of life as a Black person in America (watch HERE / listen HERE). Sinkane opens the jazzy ballad "We're here again / Ain't nobody listenin'… Y'all only know our names from hashtags'' before taking a hopeful turn; "The tides of change / Serve great purpose in our every day / My people, we will find our way." Upon release, Stereogum called it "a social commentary set against a cinematic, immersive sonic landscape." Sinkane has always paved his own way, defying all odds and surpassing expectations. With seven studio albums under his belt and an illustrious career as a composer, producer and band leader, he has orchestrated remarkable projects. From music directing the Atomic Bomb! Band, the resounding revival of Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor, to composing the "lively" (The Guardian) musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile which debuted last month, Ahmed's journey has been extraordinary to say the least. We want to hear from you! Please email Hello@BringinitBackwards.com www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #Sinkane #NewMusic #Zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiB https://www.bringinitbackwards.com/follow Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! https://www.facebook.com/groups/bringinbackpod Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bringin-it-backwards--4972373/support. https://bringinitbackwards.com/