WILT_2025-13

A playlist of songs that intrigued me from Sunday to Saturday. Week of 23 Mar 2025 to 29 Mar 2025.

1. Colonial Mentality (Live) – Kokoroko, Sheila Maurice-Grey, Richie Seivwright, Oscar Laurence, Mutale Chashi, Onome Edgeworth, Ayo Salawu
2. Brockley – Theon Cross
3. Nikinakinu – Greg Foat
4. Maybe Nowhere – Emma-Jean Thackray
5. Sweet Chestnut – Scrimshire
6. Biblio – Okonski
7. La cumbia me está llamando – Nubya Garcia, La Perla, Kaidi Tatham
8. Mam Pe’ela Su’ure – Florence Adooni

Hyperlink to Spotify playlist: WILT_2025-13

Notes

I believe I started the week by listening to Theon Cross, because Thomas and I were trading notes on music, and the focus was on jazz, blues, and soul music. That foray into Theon Cross inadvertently opens doors into a realm of jazz that always excites me, with many progressive and experimental ideas, as well as seamless blending with many other musical styles both from the musical history as well as contemporary influences.

The new single by Emma-Jean Thackray, Maybe Nowhere, also sounds extremely promising and I look forward to her new album that should be releasing soon.

The last leg of this playlist takes us into the realm of afrobeat, which is always a welcome style toward any playlist with jazz-leanings. The two genres are definitely intertwined, and afrobeat is both a great grounding as well as launchpad toward showcasing the potential of music’s more progressive energy, flitting just outside outside the boundaries of known universes. I also welcome back the re-discovery of Florence Adooni’s music whose vocal prowess and indelible energy make her brand of frafra gospel an instant pick me up and pause from the weight of any day.

This week, I also walked Chestnut Nature Park with Rudi, and it might be one of my favourite trails in Singapore because of its balance of trail walking, natural features and walking ease.