Sinkane featuring Mdou Moctar - "So It Goes"

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Photo by Martine Carlson

Ahmed Gallab (aka Sinkane) enlisted guitarist Mdou Moctar for the first single off his upcoming album. The album was written after the death of Gallab's father, and the songs reflect on grief, and combine Sudanese pop, East and West African music, and Brazilian and Caribbean influences. "So It Goes" is no exception, but the surprising thing is how mainstream and accessible the song is. It feels and sounds more like an electronic song with some pop influences, with the world music sounds sprinkled in. The beat is what drives "So It Goes" and makes the song completely irresistible. This is the type of song that is easily going to win over world music fans, pop fans, hip hop fans, and even rock fans by how great and diverse it is. 

Sinkane says of his latest single:

“After my father died, I found that strangely comforting. Maybe being gone doesn't mean every version of you is gone. I wanted the song to feel like an East African psychedelic fever dream. I asked Mdou Moctar to play the guitar solo, and he took it somewhere wonderfully unexpected.”

You can listen to "So It Goes" below. He's Gone is due out February 26 on City Slang, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Sinkane, check out the artist's website.

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