International super group Bokanté, led by Grammy-winning Snarky Puppy founder Michael League, recently released a brand-new studio album, ‘History’ via Real World Records consisting of nine tracks celebrating black history, global unity and the futility of war.

Consisting of members from five countries and four continents, different genders, races and generations working in harmony and celebrating individuality, Bokanté are united in the belief that music should be a voice for the voiceless. ‘History’ finds them exploring further, dressing folkloric instruments including the Arabic oud, West African ngoni and North African guembri, the bass lute favoured by Morocco’s Gnawa maalems, in western clothes. Interweaving layers of percussion with all the nuanced skill expected of four percussion maestros: André Ferrari of Swedish folk renegades Väsen. Ex-Berklee music professor Jamey Haddad (Sting, Paul Simon). Nagasaki-raised, New York-based Keita Ogawa (Cecile McLorin Salvant). Ghanaian-New Orleanian drum king Weedie Braimah (Christian Scott), a special guest on What Heat, a vital band member now.

“I love how different we all are as people”

Michael, as someone who is constantly involved with a variety of projects 24/7, what makes Bokanté special or if you like, different?

Michael League: It’s the people, above all. Each person brings their own unique personality to the collective sound and the result is something very special. I love how different we all are as people and as musicians.

The project consists of members from five countries and four continents. Do you feel that with the help of technology the barriers were broken as you could work from your own part of the world and how does that work when it comes to Bokanté.

Not necessarily. Bokanté started as an in-person band and continued to work that way, even through the pandemic. When we make a record, we all come together in the same physical space to do it. Remote recording is not a part of our process.

The title of your upcoming album is ‘History,’ a word that makes us wonder about the concept behind it? What are you trying to portrait with the latest album?

We simply try to draw attention to the fact that past narratives define present perspectives. And that, ultimately, there is much more to our history than what we read.

You also decided to explore the sonic palette with the addition of instruments like the Arabic oud, West African ngoni and North African guembri, the bass lute favoured by Morocco’s Gnawa maalems. Would love it if you could tell us more about the instruments and how you’re employing them in the music you are making.

I try to use these instruments in the same way that we use the guitar…we respect the tradition without trying to replicate something that hundreds of musicians have already done. Ultimately, these instruments are just vehicles for storytelling. We’re using them to create songs, and therefore, stories.

Would you like to tell us about the musicians that are part of ‘History’ as there are some truly big names.

Every musician in Bokanté is special to me. In the percussion section, we have Jamey Haddad (Sting, Paul Simon), Keita Ogawa (Jamey’s protegé), André Ferrari (of the Swedish band, Väsen), and Weedie Braimah (son of a Ghanaian djembe fola and a St. Louis jazz drummer). On guitars, Snarky Puppy members Bob Lanzetti and Chris McQueen. On pedal steel guitar, Roosevelt Collier. And my co-partner in crime, the incredible Malika Tirolien on vocals from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

<a href="https://bokante.bandcamp.com/album/history">History by Bokanté</a>

What can you tell us about the lyrics? What is it like to collaborate with Malika Tirolien?

Malika is very gifted in her way of sending deep messages in a down-to-earth way. Most of our songs in this band are socially or politically conscious, and I have to say that Malika is one of my favorite people in the world to write with. You send her a seed of a song idea and she sends you back an entire orchard.

How would you compare this upcoming release with the previous two albums? What do you think is the main difference? More focussed message?

We put a lot of time and thought into what roles the various instruments would play on this record, and really envisioned the texture beforehand. In that way, I think the record has a much more focused sound.

It would be fantastic if you would take us to the studio and tell us about the recording process.

We intentionally came into the studio (my house, actually) without completed songs. As a result, we were able to compose together, as a band. And any moment during the day, the guitarists would be in my bedroom writing parts, Malika in the kitchen writing lyrics, and the percussionists upstairs tracking. It was like a little music factory.