Ubunye exploit the great glories of Zulu harmony singing

At a jazz festival that he was organising in Leeds, keyboardist Dave Evans fell in with the Zulu singer Xolani Mbatha, and the two looked for further opportunities to collaborate. Ubunye is the result — the band, named for the concept of one-ness or unity, marries an English keyboards, drum, guitar and bass section with three singers from KwaZulu-Natal. One of the great glories of the Zulu musical tradition is harmony singing, and at its best the album exploits this to the full.

It opens with sprightly piano phrases from Evans, and then lyrics that bend towards cognitive behavioural therapy. “Take your time, think this over”, sings Thandanani Gumede in a sweet tenor. “You don’t need to feel that way/The words and thoughts don’t define you/You don’t need to feel that way”. Nokuthula Zondi joins in. “Stars shine their brightest in the dark/Phony friends concealed best by the blinding light”. The voices are rich with vibrato. The words slip into Zulu, urging us to keep searching for success, keep looking for truth. Mbatha’s low baritone asks the listener to keep things together, just as the band coalesce into a rich groove, piano riff circling, the music pulling together then allowing space.

“Rain” is less traditional in sound: murky repetitive synthesiser washes fight with a clatter of drums. Zondi’s minor-key singing makes a journey from heartbreak (there are puns on window pane/pain) to reconciliation amid what sounds like the chime of church bells. “I will make space, I will make space,” chorus the vocalists. “I will make space for . . .” But they do not specify.

There is scatting on “I’ll Sing For You”, a relatively straight pop song that would have perfectly suited Corinne Bailey Rae (bassist Kenny Higgins has played with her), with patterning on the keyboards and percussion like tearing paper. The slow burn of “Unity”, its verses in Zulu, celebrates both unity and discipline, everyone coming together to use their skills. A slowly rising chord pattern swells under the singing. “Try To Notice” fidgets uneasily with a chant from Mbatha: “Wake up, man!” The other singers plead to be seen. After the haze, the bright rhythms of “Meet You In The Morning” are crisp and sharp. The trip-hop beat of “Come Find Me” is another highlight, the song’s optimism cutting through. And the martial drums that open “Our Time” give way to a slinky bassline and more seeing and being seen.

★★★☆☆

‘Ubunye’ is released by 33Jazz