Okan Project
Israeli pianist-composer-bandleader Omer Kringel's latest album is a multi-cultural project entitled "Okan Project." Okan means "heart" in the Yoruba language, and it is also the acronym for the Omer Kringel Ansamble. In 2013, returning to Israel from a visit to Cuba and Colombia, Omer met with some friends and local musicians. This meeting began the creation of this album. It took five years to complete the Okan Project. Okan Project consists of music coming from all around the globe with a track-list that fuses influences ranging from Afro-Latin, pop, Middle Eastern, African, Funk, Jazz, and more. It is an attempt to represent Omer Kringel's worldwide friendships and musical journey, and his hopes to build bridges between cultures and philosophies.
Musically, this release is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual street party with irresistible, high energy grooves, punchy horn lines, and exuberant vocals. A brief instrumental intro leads into the Afro-Cuban "Pacto del Alma," with a compelling groove, and the weaving of instrumental voices with the varied singers. 'Sembrar Amor" maintains the tropical musical flavor with shifting vocal and instrumental textures (including Heryberto Bonilla Granja's marvelous marimba). "Freedom Key," one of two selections in English. It brings forth an almost frenetic klezmer wedding rhythm as J. Hoard sings, "The key to our freedom is right here/ key to our freedom is right here/ key to our freedom is here within us." This is only a hint of the diverseness of the music here such a Moorish-Sephardic flavor to "Blossom," the flamenco-rooted "Descalços," and the lovely, thoughtful "Shekhinah." The result is a jubilant, superbly recorded and performed digital-only release.
It is available at bandcamp and other sites, https://omerkringel.bandcamp.com/album/okan-project. I received a download to review from a publicist. Here is the official video for "Sembrar Amor."
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