SANKOFA – Album by Azawi

SANKOFA, the sophomore release from Azawi, honors her roots and exudes African pride. The Ugandan singer-songwriter taps into the rich tapestry of the continent’s rhythms to espouse the idea of assessing the past and surveying the present to forge new paths.

A stirring monologue sets the tone, before traditional instrumentation is delightfully absorbed into rumba, dancehall, amapiano, bongo flava, and Afrobeats. Animating these soundbeds with lyrics in English and Luganda, Azawi revels in the ensuing celebration of heritage, love, life, and spirituality.

As triumphant log drums punctuate the anthemic “Champion from Africa,” sultry melodies float over the romantic “Egaali” and sensual, Elijah Kitaka-aided “Harder,” And while the libatious single “Omwenge” finds a companion piece in “Njagala Vibe,” crafted alongside Sauti Sol, Konshens helps soundtrack a summer fling with “Summer Bae.”

A tropical feel is carried over to the Mike Kayihura and Bensoul-assisted “Elevated” before a return to the soil through “My God,” a prayer for country and mankind.