It’s been a long time since an album moved me like Yasmin. The debut from London-born, Tanzanian/Australian artist Malaika Mfalme, it’s a powerful collection of songs exploring love, loss, and healing.
Malaika said “I wrote Yasmin during a time of immense pain. While the world shut its doors and experienced the 2020 lockdowns, I was grieving my late partner. When I began writing it, I didn’t know it would turn into an album. It was my means of coping through writing about grief, loss, and then joy, healing and finally self-acceptance. Now I feel this album can help others move through that kind of pain, removing the taboo and shame Western society places on grief.”
I knew Yasmin was a special album from the moment I pressed play. Acknowledgements of country have become so commonplace that they can lose their meaning, so I was excited to hear Malaika’s take. Creating a beautiful soundscape for her heartfelt “Acknowledgement” helped it resonate and bridge the gap between the story of this land and Malaika’s own story. They explore their own connection to the land in “Mother,” a song which references the ultimate maternal figure, Mother Nature herself. In “Dream,” Malaika reflects on their first dream featuring their late partner. “Spirit” is quiet and beautifully vulnerable, a poignant moment birthed from the depths of sorrow.
“‘Spirit’ came from a deep time of grief, so I wanted to use repetition to create new meaning,” Malaika explained. “This repetition and call and response is significant in my African culture and in history, often using techniques like this to survive horror like slavery.”
“Imagine” and “Relief” are like companion pieces that lift the soul after the darkness. The first elevates the memories that bring comfort, the second is a powerful reminder of the importance of being loved and known, if only for a little while. “Good Man” sees Malaika, a trans/non-binary artist, reflecting on gender identity and the importance of manifesting it in the right way. ”Younger” completes another piece of the puzzle, like a musical letter to Malaika’s past self and the soul icons who helped them become the person they are today. It’s only fitting that the album’s final track is a tribute to Yasmin herself, the person who inspired this collection of music.
“Yasmin was an opera singer, and I was able to incorporate all of her friends in the song. All of us singing together was such an important healing process for all of us,” Malaika recalled. “The first verse is about the pain of her passing, the second is about letting her go, and the last is about remembering her.”
The first few times I listened to Yasmin I went in blind, with my ears and heart open. Without reading the press release, I could make my own meaning from these songs. I was instantly struck by their warmth and beauty. This album was inspired by darkness, but there’s light in even the most painful moments. Reading over Malaika’s notes has made me appreciate and love these songs even more than I thought was possible.
Yasmin is out now. Malaika will launch this exceptional album tomorrow night, December 14, at the Red Rattler Theatre in Eora/Marrickville. Tickets are available now from Humanitix.
Images used with permission from Good Intent