Genre : Reggae Funk with Jungle Jazz affections
Origin : United Kingdom
Official site : > - here - <
London resident Teni is one contemporary representative of the timeless exotic/afro musical vibes skillfully established and expressed by such artists as Shade in the '80s. Remember the song "Smooth Operator?" Teni surely does, and I suspect it is one of her all time favorites - I might be wrong, of course. (I don't particularly think Shade had any other songs, anyway.)
Nevertheless, Teni elegantly relies on efficient tonalities revolving around the exotic African - tautology? - scale. Africa is only exotic if you are not there. Your host, Teni takes you there, AND back. If you'd prefer to stick around, there is no power preventing you from submitting to the music on a rince and repeat basis, IF you are Tiga' on AfroDisiac enough for that. Luckily, the urge to conform to the suspected expectational tendencies of the Western listener, is almost non-existent on Teni's record, thereby claiming and radiating a legitimate identity. African Gods & Co. save us from Western pop music with exotic mannerisms - this release does not commit such sonic atrocities at all. The first thing you need to get rid of, is your ingrained beliefs about how the exotic music should sound like, and don't you worry (all that much) that the stimulus sounds quite similarly to the conventions you were willing to sacrifice into private oblivion - the data sticks to you with increased efficiency upon multiple listens, and there is just enough movement in the songs to keep you situated between Afro Nirvana and very much physical palm trees with rascal monkeys on it.
Teni does what she is capable of, - which always is the optimum - yet does this with zero doubt in her singing abilities. This is a good thing, that conveys a sense of self confidence to her overall performance, and even while she explores her current limitations, she remains enthusiastic. A pleasure to behold such precedent. The music has a relative willingness to revolve around its own axis as Teni showcases her favorite note selections of the African scale - and her taste/musical vision doubtless reflects the primordial wilderness with metaphysical efficiency - she, nevertheless, at this point in her career is suspect to overdo some particular tonalities, even though this effect is only observable when you give the album a full facetime. Only 100 times you can slide into an "F" from an "F sharp" without the audience finally noticing it. Read on to know more about this.
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