"Yemanja is the Afro-Brazilian goddess of the sea, the mother Orisha. This song was written after her 3 day celebrations spent in North east Brazil, enjoying the carnival but at the same time trying to shed some personal baggage. It's the feeling of going out but your heart's not in it.. at first, here Yemanja calls you back to your true centre."
Dublin soul act Paj (aka Paddy Groenland) shares the follow-up single 'Yemanja' to debut 'Friends Confused' which was released in February. For an artist steeped in global sounds as a result of his passion for self-education beyond standard genres, the new single acts like a melting-pot of the best of soul and traditional world landscapes.
The groove is over-flowing like a thick foam of sunshine beats and a slick rn'b vocal delivery filled with determination and passion. This throws me straight into classic OST's like Shaft and Superfly but with a massive dollop of super heavy funk. The tempo is aggressive in a manner that would recall George Clinton's Parliament, but the softness of a Shuggie Otis passage in those first 50 seconds. Interestingly it's in the percussion and loose rhythm that those earlier mentioned influences subtly lap in between the ravaging but fun-filled chaos.
Paj plays his next show with full band and AV show on Saturday, April 27th in Whelan's. http://www.whelanslive.com/index.php/paj-mother-tongues/
'Yemanja' will also be live on Spotify and other major streaming platforms from the 9th of May.
