Crosswind Collective bridges continents in “Cumbia Zambezi”

The newest song from Crosswind Collective, “Cumbia Zambezi,” is a colourful musical tapestry that makes you feel like you’re on a dance floor in the sun. Bart Petitjean, a Brussels-based composer and musician with more than 40 years of experience, has once again shown how good he is at mixing different cultures and sounds into something that feels completely alive.

The Collective plays with the fun syncopations of South American cumbia and the bright, interlocking guitar patterns of West African soukous on this track. The result is a rhythm that is both strange and comforting, inspiring people to move, smile, and immerse themselves in the music. An old man in Brazzaville, Congo, said it was warm and captivating, which is a compliment that feels deserved and heartfelt.

The collaboration with Ray Solo, the lead guitarist from Zimbabwe, gives the song a rich, melodic depth by smoothly blending African textures with Latin-inspired grooves. “Cumbia Zambezi” talks about Bart’s lifelong love of many different types of music, including reggae, dub, funk, samba, bossa nova, and house. However, it is mostly about how world music can bring people together.

This song came out on PJ1800 and sounds less like a single and more like a short trip across continents. Each rhythm and variation tells a story of working together, being curious, and exploring music. “Cumbia Zambezi” isn’t just a song for fans of worldly grooves and happy soundscapes, and it’s an invitation to dance in the warm, global breeze that Crosswind Collective has so expertly created.

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