Falana's Latino influences bring her home on 'Things Fall Together' EP

jonathan

May 11, 2016 5:00 PM

Falana’s Nigerian roots find no bearing on this EP, as the singer faces squarely her desired influences and individualistic spin.

Extended Play – Things Fall Together

Artiste – Falana

Boasting of Nigerian parents, Falana grew up in Brampton Canada, where her home began her first place of creating music. Shaped by the idealistic and original sounds of Fela Kuti, and Sunny Ade, she grew up with a taste for musical beauty.

While still in the process of exploring her artistic voice, Falana decided to travel to Havana, Cuba. It was in Cuba where she would spend a year, performing, developing and eventually recording her debut EP “Things Fall Together”. She credits her time in Cuba for leading her to hone a sound that she calls “Soul Fusion”, her very own blend of Jazz, Soul, Afrobeat, and R&B.

“All Things Fall Together” contains all of these and more. Falana’s velvety vocals are all shades of endearing as she launches into with the plucky guitar strings accompanying her reflections on ‘Reinfiltrator’. Here, shades of Sade Adu and Lauryn Hill appear through the entire song, as she somberly recoils from love offered by a man who did hurt her heart. There’s strength in the lyrics and romance in the cadences. It is these artistes that Falana drew inspiration for her powerful and honest writing style.

The Latino influence on Falana’s music is unmistakable, you could feel the immersive Latin Jazz on ‘Chances’. She weaves through accompanying rolling drums, as she seeks second life. She digs deep into classic Spanish music, and comes through with a cover of Tona La Negra’s 1942 classic hit ‘Angelitos Negra’, a song which protests racial discrimination and demands recognition of a multiracial population. ‘To Bernard’ shows her undeniable folk sensibilities, but shows her ability to perform away from the Latino influences, but it returns in ‘Start again’ as refreshing Salsa.

Falana’s Nigerian roots find no bearing on this EP, as the singer faces squarely her desired influences and individualistic spin. You can find the hot jazz of Fela tied in the fabric of her work, but that’s about it. She is honest in her writing, powerful on her delivery and smooth on her sounds.

Simply put, Falana didn’t make music that can be boxed and labelled as a way of inspiring relativity. Listening to the EP, you find yourself using more than your ears, heart and body to digest this. You go deeper than that. Your soul and spirit join the party, and you get lost in the beauty of a new dimension, powered by the soul of Cuba.

Ratings 4/5

Ratings

1-Dull

2-Boring

2.5-Average

3-Worth Checking Out

3.5-Hot

4-Smoking Hot

4.5-Amazing

5-Perfection

jonathan