On the 20th May 2020, Shabaka released his first solo record, the shape-shifting Afrikan Culture. Imagined and materialised with the concept of spiritual healing at its very core, Shabaka confirms, ‘I tried to create a sound that reflects the process of my own personal meditation’. Produced by himself and frequent collaborator Dillip Harris, Shabaka focuses his attention on the flute, combined with duets with Kadialy Kouyate on kora, Alina Bzhezhinska on harp and Dave Okumu on guitar. ‘Black Meditation’ is both a mighty and modest opening to the spiritual journey that is to come. Its dusted with glistening chimes alongside the heavy hum of the Japanese shakuhachi which sets the tone for a meditative and reflective state. In an ode to this ancient wooden flute, Shabaka writes "With typical human-centred logic, I assumed that in the union between the person and the plant, the tree is “played”. What if the tree affects our own vibrational field in a manner that is both subtle and powerful, causing us to become tuned’. High-pitched harp-like plucks of the kora tingle like the soft touch of fingertips on your skin during ‘Call it a European Paradox’, sending a welcomed wave of goose-bumps throughout the body. Perhaps inspired by the song's title, the chirpy ‘Ital is Vital’ evokes a feeling of love for all creatures and plants, painted with vivid polyrhythms that are illuminated with pure love of life. The 28-minute record is a profoundly spiritual experience. Some of the tracks are an easy, sweet-tasting remedy, but there are some songs with a more bitter flavour, a remedy that’s tougher to swallow but as equally as healing. This year, Shabaka invites us all to become tuned to ourselves and nature in a brand new way. -Ellie Rose-Davies