
Nicola Conte - Umoja
Having released music with Blue Note, Impulse! and Schema records, Nicola
Conte's relationship with Far Out began over a shared love of hard-edged
bossanova and swinging samba-jazz. Between 2009-2013 Nicola Conte compiled
five volumes of forgotten 60s Brazilian music for his Viagem series. He then
released his critically acclaimed Natural album: a collaboration with vocalist
Steffania Dippiero, featuring jazz standards alongside covers of lesser known
Brazilian gems.
The music of Umoja draws on the deep-dug 70's independent spiritual and free
jazz sounds, private-press soul records, and African and Afro Caribbean rhythms
in Conte's collection. But he equally recognises his debt to many of the decade's
more celebrated musical icons, such as North American cosmic jazz masters
Lonnie Liston Smith and Gary Bartz, and Afrobeat originators Fela Kuti and Tony
Allen. LP Tracks:
1. Freedom & Progress
2. Arise
3. Soul Of The People
4. Heritage
5. Flying Circles
6. Umoja Unity
7. Life Forces
8. Dance Of Love & Peace Part 1
9. Dance Of Love & Peace Part 2
10. Into The Light Of Love