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Kiwi Move On To Second Album

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Kiwi Move On To Second Album

Kiwi Move On To Second Album

By Karl Pearson on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 - 1 comment

Roots reggae with a Brazilian Twist.

Sampler

The intriguingly named Kiwi, as they are neither based in New Zealand, they hail from Jersey City in the United States, nor do they possess any New Zealanders among their 8 members, as far as I’m aware, have just followed up their 2010 debut “Mischief Reigns” with the self produced “On The Move”.

Kiwi - On The Move Still relatively unknown in Europe they have been building a steady following across the North-Eastern US and Brazil where lead singer Alex Tea has travelled on numerous occasions and in the process fallen in love with the Portuguese language and the Brazilian martial art Capoeira, that combines exuberant dancing with powerful strikes and take-down manoeuvres. It was developed there, back in colonial times, by enslaved Africans and their descendants who wanted to keep their battle training a secret from their Portuguese overseers. Capoeira nowadays is not only a martial art, but an active exporter of Brazilian culture with matches set against a live soundtrack of which many of its instruments, melodies, and rhythms have been used to enhance the solid foundation of roots reggae music that goes into making Kiwi’s rich sound with the love song ‘Aprendiz’ also being sung entirely in Portuguese.

This sound is further enhanced by elements of soul and jazz throughout which are embodied by driving brass-heavy arrangements of trumpet, tenor sax and trombone that echo the classic Rocksteady, Reggae and R&B grooves of the past and are exemplified on tracks like the shimmery ‘Sun Never Set’, the easy going sway of ‘Change’ and harmonious ‘Give A Little’.

These backdrops perfectly encapsulate Tea’s laid back vocals that rest easy on the ear while lyrically he tackles the common reggae topics of consciousness, the fight against social injustice as well as the call for people to stand up and focus on the positives in life and make the most of the possibilities that come their way.

The overall effect of this sonic tapestry is an uplifting joy to behold that must surely bring them greater global recognition because although it’s only early in the year I think I may have already come across one of its biggest gems.

Tags: Kiwi