Somewhere between Mexico City, Kinshasa and Kampala, Emiliano Motta aka Moganjah is seriously stepping things up with his label Makabila Umoja. In this PAM Club, he takes us on a tour of his retro-futuristic catalog.
A producer and composer since 1997, Emiliano Motta now focuses his energy in Africa, particularly in Uganda, where he co-created the Nyege Nyege Festival in 2015. In 2019, he launched his label Makabila Umoja, which literally means “Unified Tribes”, with his partner Leo PaLayeng, one of the pioneers of acholitronix. Riddles of Tong Kicol, the recently released album of the Ugandan musician, is an ideal showcase for this young label that projects itself into the future without ever relegating traditions to the dustbin. From a resolutely electro-acoustic angle, Makabila calls upon Uganda for its Baganda rhythms and hypnotic Acholi music, Burkina Faso for its tamas and Wolof rhythms or Congo for the flow and incisive lyrics of its underground MCs, among other influences in East Africa or Latin America. As a true conductor, Moganjah surrounds himself with and produces creative artists such as Otim Alpha, Willstone or Swordman Kitala to shape his vision of both roots and afro futurism in a boldly intercontinental atmosphere.
“This is the third DJ set I have recorded. This mix is a journey through Makabila Umoja’s tracks, and others that have been sources of inspiration, with varying styles and tempos.”
Tracklist :
1. Ennanga Vision – New Sunshine
2. Willstone – Trop c’est Trop
3. Clap ! Clap ! – Sailing in the Seas of Wood
4. Makadem, Leo PaLayeng, John Mutombo and Emiliano Motta – Pole Pole
5. Moganjah – Corrupted Groove
6. Ennanga Vision – Killing Ghosts
7. Swordman Kitala & Moganjah – Mazuka
8. Super Doze – Tusizoweyane
9. Moganjah – Nakibembe Groove (unreleased)
10. Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm – Lamb Rhythm
11. Omutaba Ngoma – Tutudde
12. Russ – Flute Song edit
13. Super Doze – Batute
14. Kaba Blon – Morobiyassa
15. Otim Alpha & Leo PaLayeng with Emiliano Motta – Cheza Ngoma
16. Swordman Kitala & Moganjah – Slow motion
Find out more on the label’s Bandcamp.
