Mixtape stream: Sampa The Great – ‘Birds And The BEE9’

Sampa The Great has shared her anticipated new Birds And The BEE9 mixtape, just over two years on from its excellent predecessor, The Great Mixtape.

Now signed to Big Dada, the project has been described as a record that’s both deeply personal and outward-looking. The tape’s points of reference are poised between Sampa’s closely-held roots and an internationally-minded musical outlook (the singer was born in Zambia, raised in Botswana, and moved to Australia four years ago).

Taking in influences from disparate different corners, it’s an attitude that reflects her worldly perspective. Having lived in both Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, she’s also spent time studying in both San Francisco and LA. As such, it’s no surprise to hear the mixture of sounds that filter through the record. Be it the undercurrents of gospel and neo-soul which accompany reflections on her identity in Bye River, or the spiritually-minded chants and claps of Healing, it’s an album that makes those sorts of connections seem effortless.