Brownswood-signed, sublimely talented vocalist Zara McFarlane is back, linking up with legendary producer Dennis Bovell for a new single picking up where she left off on 2017 album, Arise. She carves out a soulful, reggae -and dub-influenced sound, marrying the rhythms of her Jamaican heritage with a finely-tuned jazz musicality. Delivering four different reinterpretations of the title cut from Augustus Pablo’s 1977 classic album, ‘East of the River Nile’, she sings the original’s melodica melody, her crystal-toned vocals as the track’s guiding force.
Since announcing her arrival with her 2011 debut, Until Tomorrow, she’s released 2014’s assured follow-up If You Knew Her, and 2017’s Arise, where she took a further step in lacing together her different strands of musical upbringing. In that time, she’s also worked with house music icon, Louie Vega, collaborated with New York trumpeter, Leron Thomas, and supported iconic acts such as Hugh Masekela and Gregory Porter.
East Of The River Nile by Zara McFarlane with Dennis Bovell