OCTOBER 6, 2009
The Very Best Release New Album, Announce Tour Dates
Warm Heart Of Africa Features Guest Artists M.I.A. & Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig
by Tom PryorThis week marks the release of The Very Best's eagerly-anticipated first album, Warm Heart of Africa on Green Owl records.
Made up of Malawaian singer Esau Mwamwaya and European production duo Radioclit, The Very Best made big waves last year with their free online mixtape (Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit Are The Very Best), which featured well-known pop, dance, afro and indie tracks remixed by Radioclit with Mwamwaya singing in Chichewa, Swahili, Portuguese and English. The mixtape charted garnered critical acclaim and sold more than 200,000 downloads worldwide.
The band came together when Mwamwaya first met Radioclit's Etienne Tron in 2007 while haggling over a bicycle in the London second-hand furniture shop he ran near the duo's studio. Following the exchange, Mwamwaya was invited to Tron's house-warming party where he met the other half of Radioclit, Johan Karlberg. Esau was asked to come to Radioclit's studio after he told Karlberg he was a drummer.
It turned out Esau was a singer too and they decided to collaborate, combining Radioclit's vast production experience and self-described "ghettopop" style-having produced and remixed tracks for the likes of M.I.A., Lily Allen, Justin Timberlake, Santigold, Britney Spears, TV On The Radio, David Banner, Buraka Som Sistema among others-with Mwamwaya's emotive vocal approach. Karlberg dubbed Mwamwaya "the African Phil Collins," and they have been recording songs together ever since.
While The Very Best mixtape caught fire with Mwamwaya singing over remixes of Michael Jackson, Vampire Weekend ("Cape , Hans Zimmer and M.I.A.,Warm Heart of Africa consists of original songs. For the recording, the band brings some guests on board: in addition to Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig joining for "Warm Heart Of Africa," M.I.A. is featured on "Rain Dance."
The Very Best will also be touring in support of Warm Heart of Africa, beginning October 21st.
The Very Best Tour Dates:
10/21: CMJ Showcase-Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY
10/23: 103 Harriet, San Francisco, CA
10/24: Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA
10/29: Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
10/30: Wrongbar, Toronto, ON
11/1: Great Scott, Boston, MA
11/2: DC9, Washington, D.C.
11/3: Johnny Brenda's, Philadephia, PA