After hearing Omar Sosa’s earlier 2021 full-bodied sonic release, An East African Journey, it was a pleasant follow-up to experience the leaner, new age musical exploration of SUBA (a word that means “sunrise” in Mandinka) to represent a new day with freshness, hope, and peace. Those are the feelings that kora master and singer Seckou Keita (from Senegal) experienced when writing with Cuban-born pianist/percussionist Omar Sosa. With a lighter, lyrical, improvisational approach, the two musicians create something artistically special and pull it off with aplomb. With its sympathetic sensitivity to human condition, SUBA’s mesmerizing music is a hymn to courage, strength and perseverance in a post-pandemic world. Each relaxing track, whether emphasizing piano, kora or vocals, presents itself a prayer for health, unity and sunnier skies ahead.

Assisting Sosa and Keita are Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles, cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, flutist Dramane Dembélé and Steve Argüelles who provides sequencing, effects, and percussion. The eleven tracks comprising SUBA are linked by common themes that are woven throughout the recording. The songs speak to friendship, spiritual connection, travel, loss, hope, optimism, dancing and, of course, a new sunrise. Just like Sosa’s last album, this is also a very beautiful journey to a mystical land of music, melody and magic.  Songs like “Kharit,” “Allah Léno,” “Rei’s Ray” and “Floating Boat” create many musical moods. Musicians had a very difficult time during 2020, but “2020 Visions” is a tune that offers a glimmer of hope, as does “Drops of Sunrise.”   Omar Sosa is staying happy, productive, and creative, and he has said that his continued focus on more recording and streaming will keep his soul happy and keep his spirit in good shape. We are fortunate that Omar Sosa and Seckou Keita are sharing their vision and optimism with us too. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)