The new Tenfalk composition ’Mount Marujoma’ is the sequel to Tenfalk’s acclaimed double album ’Greatest Hits’. Its a 30-minute monster track of grinding kraut, echoing dub, mysterious afro, Swedish folklore and cosmic jazz – all divided into 8 different movements. The song was written for Tenfalk’s 4-year-old son Marujoma. Both the text and title are inspired by the son’s favorite film ’The Lion King’, which in turn is a more optimistic version of Hamlet, taking the core elements of Shakespeare’s tragedy and adapting them into an ultimately more hopeful story (where not everyone dies and where peace is finally achieved). Shop Links: https://frontl.ink/orvgmqr

– I am Swedish and my boy’s mother is from Tanzania in East Africa. I wanted to bring together these two musical heritages. Afro and Swedish folk music on a grinding, repetitive foundation of kraut and dub spiced with cosmic jazz and strings from 60s Hollywood, says Tenfalk. I wrote the Nordic sounding main theme that is consistent and ties the composition together. The bass drives the song forward and also marks when new parts are introduced. We tested 4 different bass players but it didn’t turn out the way we wanted. In the end, I played the bass myself and we were satisfied. My vocals, which are based on a poem I wrote for my boy are placed at the very end of the song. Before my voice, vocals in Swahili and Lingala are presented.

During his musical adventures in East Africa, Tenfalk has made many exciting contacts. Among them is the legendary Uganda-based record label and festival organizer Nyege Nyege. The Congolese singer and guitarist Titi Bakorta has been signed to the label for a long time, which is one reason he is featured on ’Mount Marujoma’, but the main one is actually because of the fact that Tenfalk bought Titi’s debut album ’Molende’ at the famous vinyl shop Rundgång in his hometown Malmö. He loved it so much he contacted Titi and asked him to do a feature on the track. As they both speak a fair amount of Swahili the deal went even smoother.

– You can choose to see the release as an album or as a single. Several of my favorite albums by other artists are under 31 minutes in playing time, adds Tenfalk.

Fela Kuti ’Expensive Shit’
Augustus Pablo & King Tubby ’Original Rockers’
Nico ’Desertshore’
Miles Davies & Charles Mingus ’Blue Moods’
John Coltrane ’Om’
David Axelrod ’Song of Innocence’
James Brown ’Hot Pants’
Nick Drake ’Pink Moon’
Ramones ’Ramones’
Slayer “Reign In Blood”
Bob Dylan ’Nashville Skyline’
The Beatles ’Rubber Soul’
Music: Palle Tenfalk
Lyrics: Palle Tenfalk, Titi Bakorta
Producer: Mattias Nihlén
Arranger: Mattias Nihlén
Cover: Ebba Melber

Musicians:
Palle Tenfalk – concept, vocals, bass, moog
Titi Bakorta – vocals, guitar
Mattias Nihlén – guitar, flute, rhythms
Filip Runesson – strings
Meme – vocals, rap
Björn Edqvist – trumpet
Göran Abelli – trombone, trumpet
Annika Jessen – clarinet
Linda Sunesdotter – violin
Carl Liungman – rhodes piano
Henrik Gidlund – congas, bongos
Sambandet – samba instruments
Conny Städe – drums