Afro-Finnish band Maajo makes their debut on Wonderwheel Recordings with “Better Days,” an old school, upbeat disco cut with nods to reggae and funk. Featuring the soulful voices of two new band members, Mauritian drummer-vocalist Gilbert K and Zambian singer Waina, “Better Days” pays homage to 70s African and Caribbean Disco. Fusing a dance-floor-ready beat with live horn arrangements and yearning vocals, the track is ready for the club or Sunday morning listening. The lyrics, sung in English, Creole, and Nyanja, are a global testament to hope and positivity: The “Kumba” chant pleads for the strength to get through the bad times. 

Hailing from Finland, Maajo is a tropical breeze from the cold north; their musical explorations lead from equatorial soundscapes to the woods and moods of their native Scandinavia. African influences, electronic beats and organic rhythms, ethereality and the sounds of nature all make up the patchwork sound of Maajo. Not only is Maajo’s music a way of traveling to faraway places, the songs themselves have traveled all over the globe. 

Maajo has evolved from a sample-based electronic music project to a full-sized band, including African vocalists and musicians. The group has put out two full-length albums and three EP’s on Queen Nanny records, in addition to releases on German label Permanent Vacation. Maajo has also written a soundtrack for the 1920’s silent film Lost World, received the remix treatment from artists such as Luke Vibert and Call Super, and toured festivals and clubs around the world. 

“Better Days” is out on Brooklyn’s Wonderwheel Recordings May 20th, with an album due Fall, 2022.

Buy Here

Maajo - Better Days (Radio Edit)

Hailing from Tampere, Finland, Maajo returns to Wonderwheel Recordings with the second single from their upcoming “Water of Life” LP. “Unelmissani” (Finnish for “in my dreams”) takes a more laid-back approach to the band’s signature Afro-Electronic sound: A subtly complex mix of percussion fills out the rhythm with a lilting swing while crisp guitar and synth lines provide the track’s melodic and harmonic backbone. One of Maajo’s lead singers, the Zambian singer Waina takes center stage as vocalist. “Unelmissani” is an end-of-the-night cruiser, equal parts optimism and nostalgia.

Maajo is a tropical breeze from the cold north; their musical explorations lead from equatorial soundscapes to the woods and moods of their native Scandinavia. African influences, electronic beats and organic rhythms, ethereality and the sounds of nature all make up the patchwork sound of Maajo.

Maajo has evolved from a sample-based electronic music project to a full-sized band, including African vocalists and musicians. The group has put out two full-length albums and three EP’s on Queen Nanny records, in addition to releases on German label Permanent Vacation. Maajo has also written a soundtrack for the 1920’s silent film Lost World, received the remix treatment from artists such as Luke Vibert and Call Super, and toured festivals and clubs around the world.

Pre-order Album Here

Maajo - Unelmissani

Afro-Finnish band Maajo return with their third album, “Water of Life,” a fluid celebration of various influences. Supported by two preceding singles, “Better Days” and “Unelmissani,” the album is the group’s first release with the Brooklyn, NY-based tastemaker label Wonderwheel Recordings. Maajo’s signature Afro-Balearic sound meets late eighties new age and fusion, with touches of modern soul. The addition of two band members, Waina and Gilbert K, as well as featuring artists Issiaka Dembele and Ismaila Sané, has rooted the album’s stories in a diverse range of backgrounds, featuring vocals in no less than six different languages. 

Gilbert K’s drum grooves pay tribute to the late Tony Allen’s legendary heritage and the percussion experiments on a more melodic and atmospheric tip. Cold synth pads and 303 squeaks blend with warm guitars, fretless bass, and Issiaka Dembele’s sublime kora harps and balafon mallets. “Water of Life” shows a band at its maturation point, reaching the cross-cultural coalescence of Finnish-African sound that’s ready for the dancefloor or home-listening. 

The three vocalists take centre-stage on the album: Waina hails from Zambia and sings in Nyanja, English and Finnish; a renowned musician in Zambia for over two decades who now calls Finland home, Waina wrote a song that reached the finals of the 2020 Afrimusic contest. Gilbert K primarily sings in his native Mauritian Creole while comprising part of the percussion line. He made his way to Finland by way of South Africa and China, eventually winning the Voice of Finland show. Gilbert K has played with such legends as Tony Allen, Andy Summers, Diana King, and Suzanne Vega. Ismaila Sané is from the Casamance region of Southern Senegal and sings in Wolof (a widely-spoken language in West Africa) on “Ndekete,” and in Jola (a smaller language in Casamance) on “Èwàn”. 

Maajo is a sonic, linguistic, and cultural melting pot that has come together in Tampere, Finland, like a tropical breeze from the cold north. Their musical explorations lead from equatorial soundscapes to the woods and moods of their native Scandinavia. African influences, electronic beats and organic rhythms, ethereality and the sounds of nature all make up the patchwork sound of Maajo. 

Not only is Maajo’s music a way of travelling to faraway places, the songs themselves have travelled all over the globe. Maajo has evolved from a sample-based electronic music project to a full-sized band, including African vocalists and musicians. The group has put out two full-length albums and three EP’s on Queen Nanny records, in addition to a release on German label Permanent Vacation. Maajo has received the remix treatment from artists such as Luke Vibert and Call Super, and has toured festivals and clubs internationally. The band has built a dedicated international following having been championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson (Worldwide FM), Tom Ravenscroft (BBC Radio 6), and Tim Sweeney (Beats In Space), while they’ve been featured by KEXP (Song of the Day), Resident Advisor, Ransom Note, and Pan-African Music. 

“Water of Life” is out on Wonderwheel Recordings October 14th, 2022, both digitally and as an exclusive, limited-run 2xLP.

Buy LP Here

Maajo - Lesa Fye (feat. Waina & Gilbert K)

Maajo - Ndékété (feat. Ismaila Sané)

Maajo - Ti Mamzel (feat. Gilbert K)

Maajo - Water Of Life (feat. Waina)

Maajo - Mandzi Ya Moyo (feat. Waina)

Brazilian Tropical Psych artist Felipie Puperi aka Tagua Tagua returns to Wonderwheel with the 2nd single from his upcoming album. "Colors", one of the last songs written before completion of the album, is injected with R'n'B and a hint of pop, as the filtered guitar and the synths on the track take the music into a space very much of its own. Lyrically, "Colors'' is nostalgic and talks about a single encounter and the power it has to transform a person's life.

Tagua Tagua's full length LP, 'Tanto' is due out on March 3rd.

Pre - Order LP Here

Tagua Tagua - Colors

"Pra Trás" is the third and final single from Brazilian Psych / Tropicalia artist Felipe Puperi aka Tagua Tagua. Sounding like a cross between Shuggie Otis and a Brazilian Mac Demarco, the soulful single opens the forthcoming 'Tanto' album with fuzzed out guitars, a driving beat, Bill Withers-esque strings, and Felipe's unmistakable voice, tipping into falsetto on the catchy chorus. Lyrically the song is about leaving things behind - referencing the feeling of moving past his previous release and making space for something new to flow through. "Tanto" releases March 3rd on Wonderwheel Recordings.

Tagua Tagua - Pra Trás

Tagua Tagua - Te Dizer

Beyhude - Uroboros (Trippin Jaguar Remix) [Palvora]

This is our little label out of Brooklyn NYC. Homegrown music with lots of diversity for speakers EVERYWHERE! www.wonderwheelrecordings.com Alsarah and the Nubatones, Chancha Via Circuito, Nickodemus, El Búho, Thornato, Novalima, The Spy from Cairo, Gitkin, Populous & more...

Maajo - Ti Mamzel (feat. Gilbert K)

WONDERWHEEL Recordings

Related tracks