Of the People

Audacious, in-yer-face eclecticism characterises this debut album from the Manchester quintet. Having changed their name from the questionable Project Jam Sandwich to Kabantu – a Sotho/Zulu hybrid word whose translation supplies this album's title – they have delivered a sprightly, half-hour set of eight tracks that take a tour around traditional South African, Bulgarian, Kenyan, Texan and Brazilian musics – and anything else they can think of.

This might all sound rather messy and, perhaps, to a purist ear, it would be, but there is no denying the energy and verve with which this young group produce its music. This is no mish-mash, but a series of standalone and often standout tracks by confident, capable musicians. From Brazilian and Indian vocal work, to delicate Bulgarian plucked string work and the mournful cello of a Kenyan folk song, this is very elegant stuff. The quintet comprises Katie Foster (violin), Abel Selaocoe (cello), Ben Sayah (guitar), Ali McMath (double bass) and Delia Stevens (percussion). The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester was something of a birthplace for the band, which manages to take the technical skill of a formal classical training and imbue it with a global experimentalism that is both breathtaking and very refreshing.