Thought I’d pass along a recommendation for a song I heard yesterday called “Waving Flag†by Somali-born singer K’Naan off his new album Troubador. It’s got sort of a Michael Franti/Spearhead vibe and it definitely appeals if you like that sort of thing or some of the other Hip-Hop that fuses different styles (there’s a little bit of reggae in her with some guitar work and samples from 70’s Somali pop). Very listenable and deeply personal (the sincerity just sort of comes through in the music when hear it).
He performed songs from his latest album as the SXSW Music Festival in March of this year and you can hear the performance streamed on NPR or you can download it for listening later. In case you’re actually curious and want to hear his stuff.
I’ve finally had a chance to listen to hear the whole album and I like about half the tracks. Which is to say, there’s probably something on the album for everyone, ranging from old-school rap, a track with Kirk Hammett that I like because it reminds me of Rage Against the Machine, and the reggae-influenced “Wavin’ Flag”. In that regard, it’s got the same diversity as The Way I See It Raphael Saadiq.