We are excited to present War Chant, the second release by the spell-binding jazz-world ensemble AJOYO. 2015’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut AJOYO graced audiences with a vibrant eclecticism and social consciousness unparalleled in the jazz idiom. All About Jazz notes “the music exudes sophistication yet responds to a primordial pulse.”
War Chant brings the same aural celebration of joy and life into a more focused call to action in the name of social and racial justice. The compositions in this release take aim at the oppression, xenophobia and greed that are running rampant in modern day America, combatting the lies and corruption being spewed from the Trump administration with an honest and refreshing musical diatribe. Boularès says. “Exposing people to our worlds and our own immigration stories develops empathy, regardless of their political views.” Alongside saxophonist/bandleader Yacine Boularès, the album features a deeply attuned working lineup with vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles, keyboardist/producer Jesse Fischer, bassist Kyle Miles (formerly with Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life), guitarist Michael Valeanu (formerly with Cyrille Aimée) and drummer Philippe Lemm.
War Chant sees an invigorating and empowering chemistry between band members and a list of esteemed featured artists. Boularès calls upon the very frontline of modern jazz to join with him in celebration and protest. The explosive rising-star vibraphonist and Blue Note recording artist Joel Ross makes a cutting appearance on “Syzygy,” while trumpeter Takuya Kuroda lends his brassy assurance on “Assyko,” Lake Street Dive vocalist/keyboardist Akie Bermiss lays down stone soul on “Jojo’s Groove” and South Africa’s Vuyo Sotashe sings movingly alongside Charles on the poignant “Better Love.”
Celebrity Café has praised AJOYO’s melding of “old-world Cameroonian beats with traditional jazz themes,” Those energies, and a continuous creative evolution, are evident again on War Chant, which opens with the cathartic title track aimed squarely at Trump’s misrule.
“Assyko,” according to Boularès, is named for a Cameroonian rhythm and intended to evoke “pure joy and celebration of Roy Hargrove. The bridge and the effect on Takuya’s trumpet are a reference to Roy’s tune ‘Strasbourg/St. Denis.’” “Somber Joy,” based on a Moroccan chaabi rhythm, is “a reflection on mental illness, love and addiction.” “Same” is an attempt “to understand the psychological process that leads to xenophobia.”
With Joel Ross’s riveting sound and improvising prowess to animate it, the drum machine-driven “Syzygy” takes AJOYO into more electronic, abstract dance-oriented terrain. The title is a reference to “alignment of people, ideas, events,” as Boularès puts it. “Invitation” is another variation of the Cameroonian Assyko rhythm, originally a Boularès instrumental that Charles chose to adapt as a lyrical interpretation of Baudelaire’s poem “Invitation au Voyage.” And “Jojo’s Groove,” with its compelling Akie Bermiss vocal, was inspired by Jojo Kuo, former Fela Kuti drummer who took Boularès and Michael Valeanu under his wing in their early days as New Yorkers, nurturing their musical personalities on gigs at Zinc Bar. “This tune was in the works since then, but with Sarah we sat down and decided to work on lyrics celebrating Jojo. When he left New York he gave me a few gigs and said, ‘Do your own thing.’ And that’s how we started AJOYO. So this is a tribute to the guy who unwittingly got the band together.”
“Sleep,” with its electronic pulse, synth textures, bass clarinet murmurings, subtle guitar chords and all-around colorful sonics, is based on a groove by AJOYO’s former drummer Guilhem Flouzat (now living back in France). “The way it’s accented makes it really interesting and tricky to hear,” Boularès says. “Guilhem sent me the pattern and I wrote a song over it. We went again for the drum machine sound, more of an ambient aesthetic.” And “Better Love,” based on the Benskin rhythm from Cameroon, finds Charles paired with South Africa’s Vuyo Sotashe in a song asserting the need for independence within a relationship.
More About the Artist
Boularès and Charles began working together in 2009 soon after Boularès arrived in New York, though the founding of AJOYO came later. “We happen to have very similar immigration stories,” says the saxophonist. “Sarah is American and Haitian, and it’s through music that she has maintained a relationship with Haiti. I’m French Tunisian, and although I grew up between Tunis and Paris, it’s through music that I’ve put back together the pieces of my fragmented identity. I also have strong ties with the Haitian community as the saxophonist in Tabou Combo for the past six years. That’s had a huge influence, traveling with them to Mozambique, Cape Verde, all over the Caribbean. They’re pioneers, exploring uncharted territory. The grooves and structures are very complex and sophisticated, and that really influenced my compositional process — keeping track of many different parts, thinking about the arc of the song, the dramaturgy.”
In addition to his work with AJOYO, Boularès founded the first contemporary Arabic culture festival at Joe’s Pub in New York, coming in September 2021. He is a Fulbright Laureate, a grantee of the Brooklyn Arts Council and the Arab Fund for Culture and the Arts, and a recipient of the 2015 & 2019 French American Jazz Exchange (for his album Abu Sadiya with Vincent Segal and Nasheet Waits). In November he took AJOYO on a brief tour of the American South supported by South Arts — the type of engagement that has fostered intra-band dialogue on how to make a stand and call out injustice without alienating an audience.
in the press
ENGLISH
WORLD MUSIC REPORT
"The new release – War Chant – with its exquisite balance and integration of melody, harmony and rhythm, composition and improvisation, exploration and tradition is superb and has been worth the wait."Read the full review here. RAUL DA GAMA
DOWNBEAT
The vocalist and composer—now based in New York—grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, the child of a Haitian father and a mother with French-Canadian roots. Read the full feature here. AYANA CONTRERAS
POPMATTERS
"It seems appropriate for the video to focus on Charles and Sotashe in the studio, swaying in synchrony as they make music together. This is what AJOYO is all about: the process, the exchange, the growth, and empathy that comes from fruitful creative coexistence. "Better Love" exemplifies AJOYO's work in every way." Read the full premiere here. ADRIANE PORTECORVO
STEREOGUM
"The lyrics on War Chant are impassioned and socially engaged, but the instrumental tracks are just as tough and high-energy." Read the full review here. PHIL FREEMAN
WORLD MUSIC CENTRAL
"On War Chant you’ll find a remarkable mix of West African rhythms, Afrobeat, exquisite soulful vocals with exquisite jazz stylings and finely constructed overdubs, plus captivating contemporary jazz arrangements."Read the full review here. ANGEL ROMERO
THE JAZZ OWL
"War Chant is a spiritual call-to-arms against oppression, greed, fear of others, and isolation—national and individual. AJOYO does it with grace and strength, intelligence and wit, and—most of all—a love and acceptance of who we are and who we should be." Read the full review here. TRAVIS ROGERS JR
BLACK GROOVES
"Not shy of musical confrontation, War Chant brings important messages regarding political misrule to the forefront, each scathing critique beautifully supported by jazzy rhythms from around the world." Read the full review here. CHLOE MCCORNICK
GLIDE MAGAZINE
"There’s plenty of joy here as well and a more focused call to action in the name of social justice, done with such flair and finesse that’s free of overbearing preaching." Read the full review here. JIM HYNES
Jazz Society of Oregon [Ajoyo] feel(s) like the world’s tightest jam session [...] the vision becomes crystal clear and the music impossible to define.
All About Jazz 4 stars (Chris M. Slawecki) "Ajoyo makes clear that the organic whole of this music sounds greater than the sum of its still very enjoyable parts..."
Celebrity Cafe "Ajoyo’s self-titled debut album melds old-world Cameroonian beats with traditional jazz themes to create a distinctive and unforgettable sound" (...)
Exclaim! "Ajoyo delivers a record mixed with tracks that are both danceable and grooveable" (...)
Inside World Music "highly-contemporary and driven with diverse sounds and hypnotic lines that will keep anyone enthralled for a long time"
World Music Central "Ajoyo is a splendid debut album by one of the most interesting new bands in the New York Afro-rooted world music scene" (...)
All About Jazz 4 stars (James Nadal) "the music exudes sophistication, yet responds to a primordial pulse" (...)
Black Grooves "Ajoyo takes musicians and influences from across the globe and creates a jazz fusion album that leaves behind technical worries and embraces life and love fully"
Jazz Weekly "exciting and visceral release"
FRENCH
Djam La Revue "Ajoyo est habité d’une esthétique qui laisse pantois. Cohérente, [...] si parfaite dans la fusion des influences, que j’en suis encore à me demander comment est-il possible d’asseoir un tel mariage de genres sans que ceux-ci perdent de leur individualité."
La Bande Passante RFI "Un Tunisien a New York, un des jazzmen les plus talentueux de sa génération"
Les chroniques de Hiko "Ajoyo fait parti de ces disques magiques qui provoquent un engouement dès la première écoute"
Djolo.net "probablement l’un des meilleurs [disques] de cette première moitié de 2015"
Wana Music "l’esprit de l’album, un mélange d’Occident et d’Afrique. Un pur régal!"
Saphir News "Célébrer la vie, l’amour et la justice » tout en décloisonnant les frontières... un pari largement relevé par ce musicien qui promet de faire entendre parler de lui dans le monde du jazz."
ARABIC
MC Doualiya live with Mayssa Issa