Duniama by Jarabi Band

‘Duniama’ is a word in the Susu language meaning ‘in this world’, and it seeks to encompass everything that Jarabi Band stand for. Lead vocalist, djembe, and kora player Mohamed Camara describes the album as “my personal journey of life, loss, and love. Each song tells a story.”

This idea of ‘Duniama - in this world’, has a strong meaning for the members of Jarabi Band. It can be taken to mean an individual’s relationship to their surrounding world and environment, marking their place in this complex and fast-moving world. Or it can mean connection, a relationship between an individual and our fellow human beings; our society and our community. Yet again, it can mean the relationship that exists between the players and their musical craft, a way for them to

In this way, music to the Jarabi Band becomes more than just a form of expression and a vehicle for storytelling, it becomes a way of saying ‘I am’. An expression of the self, an understanding of our place in the world, and a celebration of the act of living. Says Camara - “The term ‘Duniama’ signifies connection, relationships and the quality of life with music.”

Mohamed Camara is a Guinean-born, Melbourne-based percussionist, songwriter and vocalist, writing and recording in both the Malinke and Susu languages of West Africa.

Together with his wife Anna Camara, the pair stand at the helm of contemporary afro-jazz ensemble Jarabi Band, a group formed to act as a vehicle for exploring stories of contemporary African and Australian musical culture.