Mausiki Scales, keyboardist and founder/musical director of the celebrated Atlanta-based afrobeat/funk ensemble, Common Ground Collective, is excited to announce the upcoming release of his latest album and second solo record WestWest Africa. The album was written, arranged and produced by Mausiki Scales. Vocalists on the project include Julie Dexter, Brenda Moorer, and Akua Taylor. WestWest Africa also highlights the musicianship of Russell Gunn, Morgan Guerin, Kebbi Williams, Quinn Masonry, Ra Flautista, Alex Jones, Ali Barr, Edgar Clark Jr., Reginald Starling, and Kenton Bostick.

WestWest Africa is a creation story expressed through music; it is an ode to the bridge between the spirit of the West African ancestors who endured the trans-Atlantic slave trade and their children in the Diaspora. The album incorporates the Jazz-fusion, Funk, and African rhythms for which Mausiki has become known. Featured singles include “Kaleidoscopic Universe,” released in February, in tandem with an infectious remix by Atlanta’s own DJ Kemit. This summer, the second single, “Let the Drum Remind You” hit the airwaves, followed by a sumptuous remix from Detroit born, ATL resident and world-renowned DJ/Producer Kai Alcé.

Created at a time when he was feeling deeply inspired to explore the cultural ties between his family and his ancestors, Scales likens this album to “the sound of community in dialogue with a griot. I take deep pride in capturing the resilience of my ancestors and translating that into sound–allowing the musicians and the audience to experience, even briefly, life beyond the ordinary.” According to scholar and arts critic Michael Simanga, Scales’ music deeply connects to the “African spirit and the centuries-old exchange of experiences between African people in the Diaspora.”

WestWest Africa will be available on July 21, 2020. Pre-orders are available now. The singles, “Kaleidoscopic Universe,” “Let the Drum Remind You,” and “Amplify” are available now on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms.

Website: https://www.mausikiscalescommonground.com

Bandcamp: https://mausikiscales.bandcamp.com/album/westwest-africa-2