February 21, 2025 - South African cellist, composer, improviser, and vocalist Abel Selaocoe (pronounced Se-lau-chwe) has released his new album Hymns of Bantu today on Warner Classics. Delving into the unique modal scales and overtone harmonic systems of South African music before Western four-part harmony was introduced, Hymns of Bantu explores how cultural histories evolve. Across 12 tracks written for ensembles varying from his own Bantu Ensemble with African percussion to orchestra, solo cello and electric bass, Selaocoe interprets traditional Bantu music alongside compositions by Bach and Marais, highlighting the synergies between musical legacies rather than their differences. “The crux of the album is about celebrating those that have come before us, and how we are all connected,” he says. “It’s allowing classical music to again sit in the same space as where I’m from – allowing Bach to sit next to overtones and the world of throat singing.”

Hymns of Bantu has been met with praise and top profiles, including a cover story on the March/April issue of Strings Magazine, WNYC Soundcheck for an interview and performance, Afropop Worldwide, The Violin Channel, BBC’s World Service and much more.

Today he has also released a new music video, for “Tsohle Tsohle,” and has detailed a performance schedule that will continue into June, with the full itinerary listed below.

In advance of today’s release, Selaocoe has shared multiple previews of Hymns of Bantu. "L.B Files: Igiul” which is inspired by Sicilian cellist Giovanni Sollima’s open-ended exploration of the instrument, and as such, his fresh recording shines a spotlight on the cello. On “Emmanuele,” Selaocoe transformed a traditional South African hymn, typically sung in church in four-part harmony, that he reimagined for working people, set to an ecstatic, upbeat groove that illustrates how many different musical worlds the album explores. “Sarabande” is a yearning new take on the piece from Bach’s Sixth Suite, arranged for cello and string orchestra by Fred Thomas.

Exploding onto the music scene in 2016 with the formation of his genre-breaking ensemble Chesaba, Selaocoe has since established himself as a unique talent fusing the throat singing and instinctive vocalizations of his South African heritage with a distinct, forward-thinking approach to the cello. Straddling the musical worlds of classical, Global and beyond, Selaocoe finds himself equally at home for his 2021 solo BBC Proms debut as he is onstage at mainstream music festivals, and now gives his personal cultural exploration its fullest expression on Hymns of Bantu.

While his 2022 debut album Where is Home (Hae ke Kae) had a restless, searching feel, Hymns of Bantu feels more like a homecoming in that it “speaks of an idea of celebrating those that have come before us,” says Selaocoe. While Selaocoe’s formal training was studying western classical in the UK, his work challenges classical archetypes and has led to profiles with the NY Times and The Guardian.

Ultimately Hymns of Bantu is an album aiming to highlight the shared universalities of people, the healing power of song, and allowing one to draw constant inspiration and understanding from those who came before us. With voice and cello as a vessel, Hymns of Bantu characterizes a vast array of human beings and invites a freeing, deep listening experience.

[photo credit: Henry J Kamara]

BUY/STREAM HYMNS OF BANTU

Upcoming Performances:

Wed 26 Feb 2025 - Isarphilharmonie - Munich, Germany

Fri 28 Feb 2025 - Rudolf Oetker Hall - Bielefeld, Germany

Sat 1 Mar 2025 - Elbphilharmonie Hamburg - Hamburg, Germany

Sun 2 Mar 2025 - Alte Oper Frankfurt - Frankfurt, Germany

Mon 3 Mar 2025 - Konzerthaus Berlin - Berlin, Germany

Wed 5 Mar 2025 - Kölner Philharmonie - Cologne, Germany

Thu 6 Mar 2025 - Concertgebouw Brugge - Brugge, Belgium

Sat 8 Mar 2025 - Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre - London, United Kingdom

Sun 8 Mar 2025 - Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre - London, United Kingdom

Wed 26 Mar 2025 - Troxy - London, United Kingdom

Thu 3 Apr 2025 - Wollongong Town Hall - Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Sat 5 Apr 2025 - City Recital Hall - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sun 6 Apr 2025 - Sydney Opera House - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Mon 7 Apr 2025 - Llewellyn Hall, Australian National University - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Tue 8 Apr 2025 - City Recital Hall - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Wed 9 Apr 2025 - City Recital Hall - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sat 12 Apr 2025 - Melbourne Recital Centre - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Sun 13 Apr 2025 - Arts Centre Melbourne - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Mon 14 Apr 2025 - Melbourne Recital Centre - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Tue 15 Apr 2025 - Adelaide Town Hall - Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Fri 2 May 2025 - Kölner Philharmonie - Cologne, Germany

Sat 3 May 2025 - Kölner Philharmonie - Cologne, Germany

Tue 13 May 2025 - Wigmore Hall - London, United Kingdom

Wed 21 May 2025 - Maison symphonique de Montréal - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Thu 22 May 2025 - Maison symphonique de Montréal - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Wed 11 Jun 2025 - Elbphilharmonie Hamburg - Hamburg, Germany

Thu 12 Jun 2025 - Elbphilharmonie Hamburg - Hamburg, Germany

Fri 13 Jun 2025 - Elbphilharmonie Hamburg - Hamburg, Germany

Sat 14 Jun 2025 - The Concertgebouw - Amsterdam, Netherlands

Sun 15 Jun 2025 - Kölner Philharmonie - Cologne, Germany

Thu 17 Jul 2025 - Hospitalhof Stuttgart - Stuttgart, Germany

Sun 20 Jul 2025 - Katholische Kirche Maria Heimsuchung - Bubenreuth, Germany

Tue 22 Jul 2025 - Schloss Elmau - Elmau, Germany

Bio, artwork and press releases here: https://shorefire.com/roster/abel-selaocoe  

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