Wah Wah 45s are very proud and excited to announce the debut release on the label from Youthsayers – an ongoing and enduring South London community project, founded by Robin Hopcraft and Idris Rahman of our very own, legendary Afro-reggae outfit Soothsayers.
Youthsayers was established in 2016 and ever since has consistently provided free of charge opportunities for young people to come together, learn an instrument and perform music under the tutelage of Robin and Idris. This has been made possible, in part, through donations from local businesses and private benefactors, but also live fundraisers and now through commercially released music! Every penny of profit from this single, and the album that is to follow this summer, will go back into the Youthsayers community project.
Keep On Playing is taken from the band’s forthcoming LP, Don’t Blame The Youth, due for release this June. In 2020, Youthsayers were scheduled to travel to Freedom Sounds Festival iN Germany to perform a set celebrating the work of the great Jamaican tenor saxophonist and composer, Tommy McCook. The trip never happened because of Covid, but the songs that had been worked on were a hit with the young people in Youthsayers, and remained in their live repertoire.
A few years later , clarinet player Giacomo Del Rei announced that he’d written a song for the McCook instrumental tune, Tenor on The Call. Robin Hopcraft explains more:
“We worked on an arrangement of the song, using the original instrumental version as a template and subsequently performed it at the London Jazz Festival in November 2022. Evidently the band and the audience’s reaction to We Keep Playing meant it had to be included in the set for the album recording session that took place in April last year. It’s a perfect example of how music that was recorded over 50 years ago in Jamaica still resonates, excites, engages and moves young people. We thank and salute the late great Tommy McCook and all the great Jamaican instrumentalists who contributed with their innovation, skill and souls to the music we all love.”
If you would like to take part in the Youthsayers programme, or donate to the cause, please go to www.youthsayers.net.
Reactions and Radio Play
Played by Gilles Peterson on Worldwide FM, Sarah Ward (Jazz FM), DJ Ritu (Resonance FM), Karl Phillips (Source FM and Liskeard Radio), Rai Danny (KBOO Community Radio 90.7FM, USA)
“Very, very good. I like that a lot!” Gilles Peterson (Worldwide FM / BBC 6 Music, UK)
“Nice!” Colleen Cosmo Murphy (The Loft / Worldwide FM, UK)
“Fab.” DJ Ritu (Resonance FM, UK)
“Dope!” Delfonic (Word & Sound / GAMM, Germany)
“Good energy!” DJ Soulist (Souleance, France)
“This is beautifully performed and produced – such great strides from the first releases i have and I can’t wait to see how the band has grown live from when I saw them at Nells supporting Soothsayers a little while and from their online spectacular work during lockdown. Robin and Idris are good friends of mine and I am so proud of and for them with this as well as the stunning young people. Thank you for signing them.” Debbie Golt (Resonance FM, UK)
“Lovely.” DJ Boba Fatt (Soho Radio, UK)
“Quality track!” DJ Angola (Wonderwheel Recordings, USA)
“Very good track.” MP Marcus (Choice FM, UK)
“Full radio support and playlist on my reggae show.” Tiago Santos (Radio Oxigenio, Portugal)
“Classic style carrying the original vibe. Big up!” Oliver Korthals (Mojo Club, Germany)
“Will be playing on my “Random Jukebox” show.” Karl Phillips (Source 96.1FM, UK)
“So so happy to find again them!!! Great first single.” Veronique Prebolin (Radio Krimi, France)
“SUPERBE JAZZY DUB AND REGGAE.” Jean Marc Baehler (Couleur 3, Switzerland)
“Dope!!” DJ Makala (Global Funkers, Spain)
“Nice tune!” Olivier Cavaller (De La Bonne Musique, France)
“Great!! Thank you!!” Kid Hops (KEXP 90.3FM, USA)
“Nice one!” Junior (Record Breakin’, USA)
“Yes!” Enrique Domenech (Freeform Podcasts, Spain)
“Nice tune!!” Sven Thomschke (Radio Z 95.8FM, UK)
“Full support!” Michael Stukes (WHCR 90.3FM, USA)
“What a track!” Rado Tomek (NuSpirit Club, Slovakia)
“VERY NICE.” Jim McMaster (TNGC Radio, UK)
“Wow very cool.” Sista Selecta (2Bob Radio, Australia)
“Nice one.” Tjerk Coers (Armada Music, The Netherlands)
“Freedom!” Chris Ex (Black Radio Berlin, Germany)
“What a magic project, concept and sound, love it.” DJ Mr Lob (Various, Australia)
“Cool!” Karsten John (Vinyl Vibes, Germany)
“Nice riddim.” Ivan Mera (Higher Club, Spain)
“So wonderful!” Chris Greenwood (SOAS Radio, UK)
“Always good vibes from Youthsayers, looking forward to the album drop, will be supporting!!” Alan O’Malley (RTE Pulse, Ireland)
“Good one!!!” Markus Milz (Radio Corax 95.9FM, Germany)
“Nice mash up of genres here. Good work all involved.” Steve KIW (We Are Love Festival, UK)
“Great Reggae. Classic song. Love it.” Amar Kabouche (Fauve Radio, Hong Kong)
“Fantastic.” Jon Brent (Dusk Dubs, UK)
“Need this at Yaam in Berlin. Sounds like a really great live experience.” Rene Josquin (Format Analog, Germany)
“Love this – gives me joy.” Lee Bright (Tangential Music, UK)
“Anything Rob and Idris are involved with is going to be of the highest quality. This certainly is!” Jamie Renton (Chilli Fried, UK)
“Nice.” Timos Koklas (Reverb Nation, Greece)
“As a long-time fan of Soothsayers I have been aware of the very laudable Youthsayers project for some years. I very much enjoyed a joint performance at WOMAD in 2019 (a festival highlight for me) and this tune definitely follows in the Sooth/YouthSayers tradition – great riff, lovely lazy rhythm. Well-played all.” Drummie Dave (Various, UK)
“Jazzy afrobeat reggae – it’s like Dele Sosimi, Tommy McCook, had some love chidlren.” Gerry Hectic (You And The Music, UK)
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