Our friends at Xango Music reminded us about a profoundly interesting album released by Glitterhouse Records out of Germany. The artist, Yanna Momina, is from Djibouti, a country which very rarely gets any sort of press attention outside of military news (and the fact that it is now one of the most expensive places in the world despite the crushing poverty the average person suffers from. You can hear the pain in her voice as she sings and wails about with the most minimal of musical backings, as she is accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, calabash and sparse handclaps. It’s mournful listening, and yet Yanna’s voice is so lively and powerful, almost to the point of being chaotic, that the record engages the listener in a way that makes you feel like you are enjoying a hot drink in her hut as she is speaking/singing to you.
Yanna Momina – Afar Ways
