Umoja is the seventh studio album by the Dutch rock band BLØF, released on 3 March 2006. It was produced with the help of numerous international artists, with the band traveling to thirteen different countries for each of the tracks. Before its release, 50,000 copies of the album were pre-sold, and it became the number-one record sold in the Netherlands in the month after its release date. Umoja received double platinum certification. Its name is Swahili for "unity". The album was re-released in a special vinyl edition in 2016, with remastered tracks and four news songs.
Documentary A documentary film about the album was released in September 2007, titled Manier Om Thuis Te Komen – Umoja Live. It consists of a concert by the band at Nieuwe Luxor Theater in Rotterdam and contains the stories behind how and where the songs on the record were written. The film was directed by Van Houweninge jr. and bassist Peter Slager, and it was shown in cinemas on 20 September.
Track listing Track Title Made in Recorded Length 01 "Binnenstebuiten (Yele)" Nairobi, Kenya October 2003 6:03 02 "Mens" Antalya, Turkey December 2003 3:56 03 "Aanzoek Zonder Ringen" Sado, Japan September 2005 4:43 04 "Hemingway" Havana, Cuba March 2004 3:41 05 "Wennen Aan September" New York City, United States July 2004 4:19 06 "Geen Tango" Buenos Aires, Argentina January 2005 4:37 07 "Laag Bij De Grond" Lagos, Nigeria September 2004 4:21 08 "Herinnering Aan Later" Óbidos, Portugal June 2004 3:19 09 "Vreemde Wegen" Celbridge, Ireland October 2005 4:16 10 "Donker Hart" St. Petersburg, Russia November 2005 4:07 11 "Een Manier Om Thuis Te Komen" Wangdue Phodrang, Bhutan May 2005 5:11 12 "De Hemel Is De Aarde" Adelaide River, Australia September 2005 4:31 13 "Eén En Alleen" New Delhi, India March 2005 7:01
Personnel
BLØF Paskal Jakobsen – vocals, guitar, mandolin Bas Kennis – keyboards, accordion, backing vocals Peter Slager – bass guitar Norman Bonink – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Additional musicians Binnenstebuiten (Yele) Harry Kimani – vocals George Odero Achieng – orutu Ongeri "Magao" Magati – percussion Charles Obuya "Charlotti" Owino – percussion Wicyllffe Chagala "Kaboge" Idah – percussion Urvin Magarita – percussion Lyrics translated by Harry Kimani
Mens Omar Faruk Tekbilek – zurna, bağlama, percussion
Aanzoek Zonder Ringen Kodo Tsubasa Hori – oke gun Eiichi Saito – oke daiko Yoshie Sunahata – oke daiko Tomohiro Mitome – chu daiko Kazuki Imagai – chu daiko Mitsuru Ishizuka – hirado
Hemingway Eliades Ochoa – vocals, guitar Alberto Rodriguez Pineda – tres Haruhiko Kono – quiro Gustav Klimt Kwartet Arlia de Ruiter – first violin Lorre Trytten – second violin Mieke Honingh – viola Bastiaan van der Werf – cello Arrangement by Tom Bakker Lyrics translated by Annet Jimènez Rodriguez and Peter Slager
Wennen Aan September Counting Crows Adam Duritz – vocals David Immerglück – electric guitar, mandolin Dutch lyrics by Peter Slager, English lyrics by Adam Duritz
Geen Tango Carel Kraayenhof – bandoneón Orquesta Tipica Sans Souci Leonardo Ferreya – violin Fabian Bertero – violin Guillermo Ferreyra – violin Sophie Lussi – violin Felipe Ricciardi – bandoneón Raúl Salvetti – bandoneón Afredo Gomez – bandoneón Eleonora Ferreyra – bandoneón Silvio Acosta – double bass Leonardo Fabricio Fernández – piano Arrangement by Carel Kraayenhof and Tom Bakker
Laag Bij De Grond Femi Kuti – vocals, saxophone Saidi Obara – percussion Adekunle Adeyemi – percussion Tiwalade Ogunlowo – trombone Emmanuel Abowoba – saxophone Olugbenga Laleye – trumpet Tayo Olajide – vocals, dancing Anthonia Bernards – vocals, dancing Yemi Oriyomi – vocals, dancing Comfort Adenike Michael – vocals, dancing Olayinka Anjorin – vocals, dancing
Herinnering Aan Later Cristina Branco – vocals Custódio Castelo – Portuguese guitar Lyrics translated by Mila Vidal Paletti, Cristina Branco, and Peter Slager
Vreemde Wegen Terry Woods – bouzouki, concertina Paul Harrigan – uilleann pipes, tin whistle Shane Martin – bodhrán
Donker Hart Natalia Sergeeva – violin Liana Zingarenko – violin Olga Vikovisheva – viola Liubov Pavlova – cello Elena Abrosimova – double bass Arrangement by Peter Bauwens
Een Manier Om Thuis Te Komen Jigme Drukpa – vocals, dranyen, lingm Ugyen Tshewang – cymbals Dung Norbu – French horn Tsagay – horn Tashi Wangchuk – drum
De Hemel Is De Aarde Mark Atkins – didgeridoo Mark Robinson – didgeridoo Bronson – vocals, clapsticks
Eén En Alleen Pravin Godkhindi – bansuri Rafiuddin Sabri – tabla L. Kishore Kumar – sitar Santosh Mishra – sarangi Dhroeh Nankoe – vocals
References