What Hejira do best is give well thought-out themes and notions a congruent musical attire and ‘Joyful Mind’ continues this approach assuredly.
Hejira return with a new album, Thread of Gold, next month. Ahead of its release comes the second taster following last year’s fantastic single, ‘Ribs’.
‘Joyful Mind’ begins with a recording which vocalist, bass guitarist and co-songwriter, Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne, took of the moment she and her family came together with pilgrims to celebrate their arrival in Lalibela, at the last point of their journey around the North of Ethiopia. “The trip allowed me to find solace and to create new and positive experiences for our friends and family after losing my Dad”, she explains. The song’s refrain (“maintain a joyful mind”) is based on a series of short Buddhist mantras, which act as spiritual reflections for meditation.
Catch Hejira live on one of the following dates:
7 Mar – Oslo, London
17 Mar – Paradiso, Amsterdam
23 Mar – The Spot Club, Liverpool
28 Mar – Duc Des Lombards, Paris
10 Apr – Upcycled Sounds, Oxford
27 Apr – Oper Halle, Halle
11 May – XJazz Festival, Berlin
13 Jul – Tropical Pressure Festival, Porthtowan