Babatoni Player Gasper Nali Releases International Debut Album ‘Abale Ndikuwuzeni’

© 2015 Mattias Stålnacke

Babatoni Player Gasper Nali Releases International Debut Album ‘Abale Ndikuwuzeni’…

Gasper Nali is a one-man-African-roots-band from the small town of Nkhata Bay on the shores of Lake Malawi. He plays a one-string homemade 3-metre long bass guitar and a cow skin drum.

The traditional instrument Gasper plays is called a ‘Babatoni’. It’s a homemade bass guitar, about 3 metres long, with one string and a cow skin drum as a resonating box, which he made and maintains himself. He plays it with a stick and an empty beer bottle, and together with a cow skin bass drum and a great voice, he creates the most amazing and danceable original Afro Beats possible!

Gasper Nali’s music is distinctively Malawian with haunting melodies and hypnotic rhythms, but has also been likened to things like New Order and Arcade Fire. His sound has garnered interest from international artists and DJ’s from a wide range of genres – for collaborations and remixes – and he has been featured by CNN and in the documentary ‘Deep Roots Malawi’.

The album’s title ‘Abale Ndikuwuzeni‘ roughly translates to ‘People, I want to tell you’. It is a fitting title as Gaspers songs, all sung in the Malawi national language of Chichewa, talk about life and strife in the country, often including social issues such as rich and poor, child brides etc.

Cover Design ‘Abale Ndikuwuzeni’ © 2015 Mattias Stålnacke

This album is the fourth full-length release from Bristol based Spare Dog Records, an independent label dedicated to recording, promoting and bringing Malawian artists to the rest of the world. Spare Dog Records is founded and run by Swedish musician and producer Mattias Stålnacke (The Animal Five, The Culture in Memoriam).

Abale Ndikuwuzeni download available at Amazon.com