South Africans seldom realise how blessed we are to have successful overseas-based artists come home and spend time reconnecting with audiences on home soil. One such artist is Bernadette Amansure aka Burni Aman.
A Hip Hop and Spoken Word artist based in Switzerland, Burni Aman was raised in Steenberg and Lavender Hill, Cape Town, and was a member of the legendary all female Hip Hop group, Godessa. She has also worked with many well known local and international artists building a solid career in the music industry that has led to the release of her well-crafted debut solo album which was recorded over a period of no less than three years.
Sweet Science was launched on Saturday 28th Feb 2015 at The Imperial, Long Street, Cape Town, with performances by Burni Aman and featured Hip Hop and Reggae artist, Crosby aka Digi Analog.
Effortlessly embracing and fusing the styles of hip hop, soul, rock, afro beat and funk with rap as a medium for communicating universal ideas, Sweet Science is a 20-track album that features musicians, vocalists and producers from Switzerland, Africa and the USA.
I can confidently say that there is a level of artistry and musicianship on this album that will appeal to a cross-section of music lovers. The soulful fusion of styles on all of the tracks do not make the album seem like a schizophrenic mix-bag of genres but most of songs could please anyone from hardcore Hip Hop headz to the lovers of Soulful Jazz or those who like to get down to Afro-funk.
Goodhope FM presenter DJ Ready D definitely agrees: "I love the Burni Aman album. Big respect to her for delivering powerful commentary. I appreciate the depth and awesome music elements."
Currently playlisted on Goodhope FM, her single "Die Kaa" is an Afrikaans ghoema-funk and afrobeat inspired narrative of life on the Cape Flats and just has a feel-good vibe to it. It evokes that feeling of being taken on a neighbourhood tour by a storyteller who has an intimate connection with the members of her community.
"Spacestreet" which is also play-listed on GHFM, is an ode to the Mother City which shows a strong bond and love for home while she travels poetic across the continents with the beautifully written, "Summerbreeze".
With her diverse lyrical styles, Burni Aman displays a rare trait of female rappers by spitting explosively intricate rhyme patterns and flows on songs such as "Split Tongues", "Mrs. Gibbs" and "Children of the Sun".
What I really found to be brilliant social commentary is her single "Travel Light" play-listed on Bush Radio and it tells us that all these trapping we have are distractions that keep us from building real connections with people.
The video of her single "Darknessbright" which you can check out further below, has just been released and the song is playlisted on Goodhope FM as well as UCT Radio.
As a spoken word artist Burni Aman has appeared at various poetry events such as Urban Voices, Spier Poetry Africa and InZync. During 2014 she joined Under Madiba Skies touring France with French band, Gran Kino, reinterpreting the words of Nelson Mandela.
Knowing that Europe would be calling sometime soon again, bruinou.com asked Burni, who is a Co-Founder of the SA-Swiss Hip Hop collective, the Rogue State Alliance, what her plans are for the immediate future after she performs at the All Elements Jam with Prophets of da City on 29 March.
"I will be travelling to Switzerland in April to commence a tour with a group called Greater Goodz that I have officially joined in late 2014. I have worked with them previously on their debut album entitled 'The Break In' which was released in 2012."
About her long term plans Burni says: "There will be a collaboration/studio album with a Swiss producer Meisterbeatz, on his producer album which will be released during the course of the year."
"I am featured on two tracks and I'm credited with songwriting on the third track. On one of the tracks off the album I will feature with Jean Grae entitled Masters of the humanverse."
We at bruinou.com are certainly looking forward to hear Burni's track with Jean Grae who we have written about before.
Burni will also be releasing the Sweet Science album internationally and with her pedigree and the masterful workmanship on this album, we are sure that Sweet Science will be well received by the international market.
Sweet Science is available on iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp and many more reputable online stores by following the links below the video.
You can catch Burni Aman performing live at the All Elements Jam with Prophets of da City on 29 March.
We suggest you go Like the new Burni Aman Facebook page to stay up to date with her music and her performances all over the world.
The new "Darnessbright" video.
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Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Science-Burni-Aman/dp/B00R7VOZPQ
iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sweet-science/id953168709
Bandcamp:
http://burniaman.bandcamp.com/
Website:
http://www.burniaman.com/
The awesome 2006 cartoon style video of Godessa's "Mindz Ablaze"
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