Premiere: Suns of Arqa Celebrate 40 Years of Music with “Heart of the Suns 1979-2019”
Heart of the Suns 1979-2019 celebrates 40 years of Suns of Arqa recordings. This album puts front and centre the sublime synthesis of dub and Indian Classical music that Suns of Arqa is renowned for.
The selection on Heart of the Suns 1979-2019 is deeper and less obvious than a Best Of album would be, though for us these are the brightest gems in the catalogue. As well as the predominant Indian classical motifs, there are also chants from an Amazonian tribe and low-tone throat singing from a Tibetan Lama, laid over solid dub bed tracks. Founder Michael Wadada has said “The link between the Indian raga system and the original beginnings of reggae is that they are both spiritual ceremonial music”. Other typically daring fusion flavours in the album include gamelan and, if you listen closely, a highland reel.
