Jaubi

Peace. Freedom. Self-discovery.

These are the underlying themes of Nafs at Peace. Without a single word spoken on the album, it’s remarkably self-assured and self-evident in its truths. Created by Pakistani improvisational jazz outfit Jaubi, Nafs at Peace is one of the year’s most revelatory releases. Weaving together the threads of Hindustani classical music, hip-hop beats and spiritual jazz, the group has made a record as funky as it is healing. The connections between the ecstatic jazz of Alice Coltrane or Pharoah Sanders are less evident in the notes played, as Jaubi based these songs around specific melodic, raga structures, but in the intent. These are musicians lost in their instruments or—at its most ascendent, one with the notes themselves.

Nafs at Peace is nothing short of a joy, and we chatted with guitarist Ali Baqar about the album.

File under: Interview