Behind Oakland CA-based ensemble Orchestra GOLD’s original sound is a decade-long story of knowledge, respect, and collaboration between Mariam Diakite of Mali and Erich Huffaker of Oakland. Blending the traditions of Mali and American Rock/Funk with a retro feel, OG represents a world of powerful cross-cultural experience. The group transcends borders and boundaries to be a force of healing within the community. OG offers a kaleidoscope of magical sound deeply rooted in the past while boldly blazing towards the genre-bending future: African Psychedelic Rock.
OG’s vibrant sound is spearheaded by the dynamic Mariam Diakite, whose raw, hypnotic vocals deliver heartfelt and thought-provoking lyrics in the highly symbolic Bambara language. While paying homage to Malian musical traditions, this fierce new sound thrives with heavy swinging rhythms, a funky fresh brass section, and cosmic guitar licks. With the January 20th release of their third album, Medicine, this profoundly spiritual and dance-inducing ensemble continues their pursuit of spreading healing and community through the universal gift of music.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the band’s video for their standout track “Gende,” which finds them lyrically tackling the importance of family. For fans of Vieux Farka Touré and Malian desert blues contemporaries like Tinariwen and Mdou Moctar, this music will resonate in a big way. But where Orchestra GOLD diverges from these acts is the way they incorporate deep funk, psychedelia and Afrobeat. “Gende” is brimming with energy as Mariam Diakite lays down powerful, commanding vocals over a deeply funky groove and washes of blistering psyched out guitar. Indeed, this song is a musical journey that is conducive to giving yourself over to dance. We see this in the video, which combines performance footage with tripped out imagery.
Vocalist Mariam Diakite describes the inspiration behind the song:
“’Gende’ talks about the importance of family. This song uses poetic imagery to draw analogies about how important our familiar relationships are. We need to treasure them and not exhaust them.
For example, the first image compares the father to wheat. Absent-minded interaction deteriorates the relationship just as overworking wheat turns the grain to dust. This is not to be taken literally but to encourage people to be mindful of their relationship with their parents.
The second image compares siblings to soap. When you scrub soap too hard, taking more than you need, the bar disappears unnecessarily. If you take more than you give to your siblings, you could be left without an intimate, treasured relationship.
The third image compares children to mirrors. This analogy may be different from how we think about ‘mirrors’ in the west. It implies that If you judge or critique your children too harshly, you will end up damaging your relationship. This will distance them from you, and you will end up missing the intimacy that you could have had.
‘Gende’ reminds us that there’s nothing like family.”
WATCH:
Orchestra GOLD’s new studio album Medicine will be self-released on CD and all digital/streaming platforms on January 20, 2023, with a limited vinyl pressing to follow this Feb./Mar. Pre-order
