Following the warm reception to her slowly-released 4 debut singles since last year, Nobuhle Ashanti is excited to release her full debut offering in the form of her 12-track album, ‘Bait For Steps Forward’.
”I have compiled a collection of stories from my personal life experiences over the last few years for this album. For me, being able to turn those experiences into an art form means so much, and being able to share its storytelling with my featured artists will forever bond us. My desire to create this album was in part to share my truth and to have somebody who listens to it feel heard through their interpretation of each song”, says Nobuhle Ashanti.
“Bait for Steps Forward” is the debut album of 24-year-old composer, pianist and lyricist Nobuhle Ashanti. The album contains 12 original songs written about her life’s experiences and lessons. It spans across genres ranging from jazz and classical to hip-hop and soul. “Bait for Steps Forward” was recorded and produced by Concept Records, and it features a wide variety of Cape Town’s most talented vocalists, instrumentalists and poets. Singles “Choices” and “Ancestors (Pt. I & II)” were released in late 2022, followed shortly by “Unpredictable” and “Ends In Ache” in early 2023, and the album will now released on 24 March, 2023.
Nobuhle Ashanti is an artist and radio personality from Cape Town whose creative disciplines include jazz piano, classical violin, music composition and arrangement. From the early age of 10, her musical education developed vigorously through Beau Soleil Music Centre – studying classical violin – as well as various legendary youth music programs, such as The Little Giants, Sekunjalo Youth Program, Grahamstown International Youth Jazz Festival (to name a few), where she excelled in jazz style piano.
Musicians that feature on the album include Kurt Bowers (Drums), Sean Sanby (Bass), Lilavan Gangen (Percussion), Callum MacDonald (Guitar), Nobuhle Ashanti (Piano, Organ, Keyboards, and Violin), Shaw Komori (Trumpet), Duncan Johnson (Saxophone), and Steven Sokuyeka and Christian Chandler (Trombone). Vocalists featured on the album include Jodi Fredericks, Seth Grey, Little Sunflower, Caitlin May, Aliyah Cloete, and Amy Campbell. Poets/rappers include Kitso Seti, Khadija Heeger, Def Eff, and Aliyah Cloete.
