South African pianist and vocalist Bokani Dyer releases superb new album on Brownswood

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South African pianist and vocalist Bokani Dyer releases superb new album on Brownswood

Over the past decade, South Africa has been a hotbed for some of the most forward-thinking artists and innovative music. One of the artists that has been at the forefront of this scene is composer, pianist, and vocalist Bokani Dyer, who was featured on the highly-acclaimed 2021 compilation Indaba Is. He has just released a superb and extensive new album on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, titled Radio Sechaba.

This brilliant 14-track recording included a solid mix of spiritual meditative moments, and uplifting energetic grooves, fusing together South African-rooted influences with soulful keys and vocals, jazz-funk, Afrobeat percussion, and punchy horns. Throughout the record, Dyer trades off singing in Setswana, Sesotho and English, often within the same song.

“This is the first album of mine that is really drawing on all my influences and putting them into one thing,” says Dyer. “So from song to song you get different types of sounds and music and different approaches, and there is some quiet stuff and there is some loud stuff too.”

Dyer brought in a number of incredible musicians for this session, including trumpeter Sthembiso Bhengu, saxophonists Linda Sikhakhane and Steve Dyer, guitarists Alder du Toit, Keenan Ahrends, and Shane Cooper, bassist Tendai Shoko, and drummer Tinotenda Dambaneunga, as well as guest vocalist Tomeletso Sereetsi, rapper Damani Nkosi, singer and pianist Yonela Mnana, and double bassist Amaeshi Ikechi.

Solid from start to finish, one of South Africa’s breakthrough artists have put together one of this year’s most standout recordings. Highly recommend!