Music
The jazz outfit combine spiritual jazz with African and London-influenced sounds as they perform Kaa and Osiris in this exclusive session.
Watch Maisha perform Osiris in the player above and Kaa in the player below.
Drummer Jake Long searched many different languages before he found the band name he was looking for. Maisha is a Swahili word for life, something this London ensemble exude from their teeming compositions to their multiplicity of side projects. Not to mention the new life they breathe into classic work by artists like Alice Coltrane.
Kaa, the second song they play for this See. Hear. Now. session, began as a bassline that bassist Twm Dylan originally wrote for a set of Coltrane arrangements. Osiris, meanwhile, is one of the band's oldest tunes, opening with a mellow flute line courtesy of Nubya Garcia, and shimmering bells.
Currently working on their debut album, Maisha grew out of Long’s love of spiritual jazz, from Pharoah Sanders to Idris Muhammad, as well as West African music, and even Jimi Hendrix. Here Long also speaks about the importance of the London jazz nights that contributed to the band’s growth.
Watch Maisha perform Osiris in the player above and Kaa in the player below.
