British jazz band Ezra Collective have released an album titled “Here Because of Hope,” which bridges the geographical roots of Black music with a personal statement, proving that joy can sprout even out of deep pain.
A Journey Across Continents, History, and Rhythms
The latest album by Ezra Collective represents the most ambitious and personal project of the successful band’s career to date. Winners of the prestigious Mercury Prize and BRIT Award, they have spent over a decade making jazz fresh, urgent, and unconditionally joyful. On this record, they push their vision even further and ask a fundamental question: why does so much music born out of utero sound so incredibly joyful? The answer is hope itself—the unwavering belief, carried across generations and oceans, that something better is always possible.
The entire work is conceived in three spiritual and geographical movements. It traces the historical and cultural movement of people across continents and decades, beginning with the traditional music of Africa, moving through Caribbean rhythms, and ending at home on the pulsing streets of London. Tracks like the opener “Blow Your Trumpet,” the energetic “Sweet Echo” featuring TJ Koleoso‘s bassline, and the danceable “Only Love” in collaboration with Pa Salieu prove that the group is at the peak of their creative powers. A striking moment is also the track “El Corazon,” which pays tribute to Latin America, or the anthemic “Jubilee Feeling,” combining jazz foundations with the raw energy of London’s club scene.
“On the other side of pain there can be renewal,” Femi Koleoso
Music as a Tool to Overcome Division
The textual and intellectual depth of the album is enhanced by spoken-word interludes and collaborations with prominent figures of the global diaspora, including Lila Iké, Leona Lewis, and Libianca. These artistic connections create a balance between reflection and pure euphoria. According to the band, music is a form of healing that can transform historical hardships into collective strength. History shows us that grime was born out of poverty and calypso out of the horrors of the slave trade—simultaneously, Ezra Collective transforms heavy themes into a celebration of life.
“Hope is a marker on that spectrum that brings you from one end to the other; it makes you feel like getting to joy might be possible,” Letitia Wright
V dobe poznačenej spoločenským rozdelením a vzájomným odcudzovaním pôsobí tento album ako mocná pripomienka spolupatričnosti. Kapela zložená z hudobníkov ako Femi Koleoso, Joe Armon-Jones, James Mollison a Ife Ogunjobi vytvorila nahrávku s výnimočnou vrelosťou a humanitou. „Here Because of Hope“ nie je len obyčajnou hudobnou zbierkou, ale oslavou kultúry, tradícií a nezlomnosti, ktorá dokáže spájať celé generácie, čo je hlavným dôvodom, prečo sme ju v New Model Rádiu zaradili do rubriky „Album týždňa“.
NMR (photo: press Ezra Collective)
