Volume II: Baca Sewa

Description

The intergalactic electro-sax warrior of the Dap-Kings returns with a groove-rich sequel to All My Relations. Vol. II: Baca Sewa is an expressive and transcendental journey through the archives of his indigenous roots and beyond. Drawing on ancestral memories and family stories, this album is a bold and semi-autobiographical work that immerses us in the annals of family histories, mythology, and cultural imagination. Baca Sewa is the original family name of Cochemea before Spanish colonization and the fracturing or erasure of ancestral knowledge and practices. The melody of the title track was composed by Anthony Gastelum and features vocals and percussion from the Baca Sewa Singers, a group made up of several generations of family members. The album is filled with sonic tributes and memories. "Chito's Song" is a contemplative and ethereal tribute to a beloved uncle. "Curandera" evokes the memory of the unstoppable healing power of women's medicine. "Black Pearl" is a tribute to his great-grandfather, heir to the indigenous peoples enslaved as pearl fishers in the Gulf of California. Leading a seven-piece ensemble made up of New York's top percussionists and members of the Daptone rhythm section, Cochemea has reconstructed ancient elements of drums, wind instruments, and vocals, creating his own world of emotional textures and rhythmic possibilities. This musical and spiritual synthesis is made possible by his deep reverence for the brass, music, and traditions that preceded him. Vol II: Baca Sewa is an offering and the continuation of Cochemea's explorations, part of a musical process of cultural reappropriation and healing through connection, relationships, memory, and imagination.