Sampha – Lahai

"Lahai" is the second album by the exceptional British voice Sampha. He presented the first single from it right at the announcement in a special version with the Rundfunk-Tanzorchester Ehrenfeld in Jan Böhmermann's ZDF Magazin Royale.

The music on "Lahai" flows between the awe of life and the magic of mundane existence, describing the chaos experienced when facing the cycle of life and the afterlife. On the 14 tracks, Sampha has called together close friends and colleagues including fantastic artists such as Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves and Kwake Bass. Unlike its 2017 Mercury Prize Album of the Year-winning predecessor "Process," "Lahai" is thus a more collaborative album.

Like its creator, the album cannot be pigeonholed sonically, but is composed of a mixture of jazz, soul, rap, dance, jungle and West African music. A gifted singer , songwriter and producer, it's no wonder that artists like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott and earlier Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys sought him out for his inimitable voice as well as his contributions to the songwriting and production of their music.