Kinsmen

Their debut album, Window to the Ashram, released on June 16, 2017 is a collection of narratives, poetically woven together with the creative use of space afforded by a trio.

“These themes run parallel to our lived experience as (4th Generation) South Africans of Indian descent in a country that is intensely undergoing the realisation and unpacking of internalised forms of racism and segregation. Our music expresses a desire for a meaningful creative dialogue with this continent that is mostly inexistent in our community.”

The language of Kinsmen draws on a myriad of influences including: Indian Classical, Mainstream Jazz, Avant-garde, World fusion and South African Jazz. The instrumentation is an innovative leap away from traditional forms of ‘Indian’ music currently promoted and exhibited in South Africa. It is an experimental rebellion against that culture through a sonic
re-appropriation and reinterpretation of the music of a traditionalist culture and school.

Their work inspires possibilities for extensions and re-readings of the role and relevance of culture, its limitations and the meaning of cultural artefacts for people of Indian descent living within the country today.