Thursday March 24, 2022
What is a shakala-doo experience? Well, you won’t know until you’ve had a good listen to Ras Banamungu and The Det-n-ators International’s new track.
The Western Australian band has followed the 2021 release of the album Revelation of Oneness and the singles, the album’s title track and Hallelu Jah, with a new release, Shakalaka-Doo Experience, a song that expands on the band’s previous work yet injects it with a new essence, a more robust side of the band’s style.
Shakalaka-Doo Experience merges rock and blues energy with Afro roots to create an uncommon World Music sub-genre while maintaining the band’s erstwhile sense of joy.
Featuring a carnivalesque atmosphere—which is not such a peculiar feature of the band’s typical style—the new one mixes the band’s usual melodic sensibilities with boisterous rhythms and organic instrumentation yet underpins that with a dense combination of guitar and bass parts which anchor the track in a way the band’s previous songs have not been.
Led by lead vocalist and songwriter Ras Banamungu, the acclaimed musician, professional laughter therapist, experienced entertainer, and maestro, Shakalaka-Doo Experience reveals the wide spectrum of the band’s sound, songwriting style and musical skill set, exploring a diverse palette with ease, conviction, and a distinct sense of fun.
One need only consider the song’s title to get a sense of this cheerful, light-hearted spirit at play here. Perhaps the most revealing aspect of the band’s new release is this sense of maintaining a palpable sense of abandon, even when the band is exploring quite rock focused elements; in fact, this sense of abandon is brought into relief.
Combined with this version of the band’s nuanced style, it helps create an entertaining track and an intriguing interpretation of traditional roots-based World Music, despite one not being absolutely clear as to what, exactly, shakalaka-doo experiences involve.
