electric jalaba: el hal / the feeling
Francisco Espregueira
Electric Jalaba brings together six talented musicians through a sound empathy that mixes ingredients from the gnawa, traditional Moroccan music, with modern elements of jazz fusion with London electronica. This almost-telepathic connection is translated to “El Hal”, which in Arabic means “The Feeling”, the title of the third full album of the band led by the unmistakable voice of the Moroccan Simo Lagnawi. After five years without new releases, Electric Jalaba present themselves with a multifaceted work, exploring a wide range of influences in ten improvised tracks developed in the studio. El Hal / The Feeling is a tribute to gnawa music, whose repertoire of songs with a strong spirituality contains vestiges of West African dialects, pointing to influences stemming from centuries-old migratory movements.
Taking in Lagnawi's Moroccan roots, the remaining band members capture the gnawa-induced trance, adding layers and layers of psychedelic and cinematic experiences. Electric Jalaba's natural energy is within easy reach of the senses. El Hal / The Feeling is created over what appears to be a live session. This emotion is noticeable, inviting us to get out of what is most common and comfortable to embrace a colorful world of songs that speak about spirits, mysterious women or men who divide oceans. Available on vinyl and in digital formats, El Hal / The Feeling is a very interesting album that pays homage to the Moroccan musical heritage, while still being futuristic. Courtesy of Strut Records.