Between a Japanese archipelago and an Italian injunction to love, the true origin of the Genevan trio's name remains a mystery... The same goes for their music: unclassifiable. Blending dancehall, afro-pop, guayla, dub reminiscences, and Middle Eastern sounds, AMAMI carves a unique path in the musical landscape of Geneva, Switzerland, and internationally. Founded by keyboardist and bassist Inès Mouzoune, Raphaël Anker (Imperial Tiger Orchestra) on EVI, percussion, and drum machine, and Gabriel Ghebrezghi on vocals and casiotone, AMAMI is first and foremost a space for encounter and experimentation. Drawing from diverse origins—Eritrean for Gabriel Ghebrezghi, Italian and Swiss for Raphaël Anker, Bulgarian and Moroccan for Inès Manzoune—their sound also fuses different musical sensibilities: electronic, traditional, dub, and experimental. With "Giant," an EP released in September 2019, AMAMI laid the groundwork for a borderless universe that fearlessly blends dancehall, tropical rhythms, and intoxicating dub. After several promising dates, including a notable appearance at the Transmusicales de Rennes, the trio's momentum was halted by the well-known situation... But it would take more than that to stop them! Within weeks, the band composed and recorded their first album, "Soleil." A studio session akin to a retreat, far from the ambient gloom of empty, silent stages. Their album "Soleil" is a raw gem, a pop, street, and terribly modern soundtrack led by a band on fire. Furious claps, hypnotic rhythms, deep bass, sharp synths, and soulful, pop-tinged vocals create a strange cocktail, a frenetic post-modern dance. "In The City" and "Soleil," with their frantic beats, best embody the band's urban sound, intertwining dancehall, pop refrains, and electrifying shouts. On "Highway Dehli" and "Atlas," the band's musical roots are expressed: North African rhythms, verses in Tigrinya, and those synth and EVI leads that recall the soaring sounds of Oumar Souleyman, Mammane Sani, or Hailu Mergia. "Fresh" with its Sade Adu-worthy chorus, the ethereal "Mystery," and the furious "Sempre Tu" sung in Italian, delve into a strange mellow and pop languor, yet always terribly bouncy and exciting. Within this unstoppable construction, "Dangerous Flower" and its Scientist-esque mix provide the dub touch that completes the work. Definitely, "Soleil" establishes itself as the soundtrack of a dancefloor just waiting for its finest moves!
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