Sudanese refugee Gordon Koang makes music that defies easy categorization as Afro-pop. The blind musician, playing the thom, an African string instrument, is accompanied by his cousin Paul Biel here on Unity, his latest release on the Music in Exile label. Now a resident of Australian, the Sudanese musician crafts a spry form of world-beat that's hard to resist.
"Stand Up (Clap Your Hands)" bounces with the sound of life itself, the thom dancing over the beat in time with Gordon's vocals, while the epic "South Sudan" rides a near-frenzied hook over skittering rhythms. It's a display of Gordon's virtuosity as a musician but also the kind of thing few of us have heard before, even those of us familiar with African music. Koang makes this all feel as light as air, and his skillful playing serves the material which is peppy, joyous, and infectious.
Unity is out now via Music in Exile.
[Photo: Duncan Wright]