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Name: Manjul
Occupation: Multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer, engineer
Nationality: Malian
Current release: Manjul's Sound Therapy, a collaboration with Fx and Ivo, is out now via Baco Music. Offering a more song oriented angle to his trademark African dub style, it features a cast collaborators, including Cornell Campbell, Clinton Fearon, Jupiter & Okwess, Montana Kinunu and Tikok Vellaye.

If you enjoyed this interview with Manjul, visit his official facebook page for current updates.



Manjul: “Since my childhood, I have been sensitive to noises and sounds, and also the recordings of movie music and other albums and classics that my father had, inspired me a lot in my imagination. So it became very natural for me to express each emotion and feeling into sounds, using several instruments.

From this point any event or situation can inspire me and provide me with a subject to talk about by sounds and words, a bass line, a drums pattern, a melody, lyrics … as soon as I have one of them in my mind, I hear the rest of the piece more and more precisely.

I don't have a special way to create my music, I love working in different processes, places, people, conditions. The natural adaptation leads me to an open mind. Each song is like a living being, must be different and have a own story in the greater Story.

My  everyday ritual is to be sincere, listen with my ears, but also with my conscience and my heart, and work in good company. Eating, drinking and smoking as fresh and natural things as possible is a must.

In my work and point of view, even an instrumental piece must be guided by a subject, a title, or a chorus.

A song is good for me when the voice, riddim and text have character, a special meaning and emotion... Of course, during the process, things can evolve and change and lead me in different alternative ways and directions, and some elements and events are not under control … the spiritual, the natural and magic must work together inside and around the studio …

I feel instantantly when the song is done … I feel it inside me, and through my queen, my children, brethrens and sistrens, which are the first part of the people that my music is going to meet …

I can play several instruments, recording and mixing, but I don't have an exact plan to know wich instrument I'll play or if I will record or mix it. Only time, places, people and things are leading me and collaborators in these choices …

As a cook, I love to be inspired, preparing stuff, reason with collaborators in the kitchen, cooking, testing, and then see the people enjoy and get strength and hope from that food …"