Ari Joshua – Tagine (2024)
With a soulful melody and raw lyricism, singer-songwriter Ari Joshua expertly captures life as we know it. A vivid delving into the core of humanity, a walk through the human spirit and essence; all wrapped in a moving, intricate melody. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Tagine’.
Following his critically acclaimed singles ‘Skidoo’ and ‘Star Light Mountain’, ‘Tagine’ is an eclectic fusion of jazz and rock bound by a psychedelic wrapper. Interestingly, while there is a certain rock band style in the combination of Ari Joshua’s guitars, Marco Benevento’s keys and Joe Russo’s drums, an avant-garde eclecticism twists the arrangement. As if tossed between different dimensions, each instrument has prominence gripping your heart with its individuality but coming together in a brooding harmony flecked with despair. Given the inspiration of the track, the melody is rather apt.
Penned in the early 2000s as an emotional expression of the tumultuous 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, there is a tragic tone to ‘Tagine’. Then again, just as you feel lost in a whirl of distracted sounds, an underlying soothing exists beneath the dark chaos. Ari Joshua explains:
“This track is something I wrote after 9/11. The week after 9/11 we were driving with all our gear in Marco’s Subaru across the bridge. It was like a military shutdown. They searched the vehicle, but the guys must have known the difference between a Hammond organ and a bomb because they let us through… 9/11 in New York was intense; I’m still processing the shock and awe it caused… We passed the Towers every day on the A train and after 9/11, I remember seeing people covered in white dust looking like zombies. A gospel church would walk around with candles for weeks, there were no cars on the roads and warplanes through the night. On the other hand, the city became a place of kindness and politeness for months after the attacks…”
In addition to the single, Ari Joshua released a visualiser video for ‘Tagine’. You can view this video below or on his YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger migraines and/or seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Ari Joshua on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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