Farafi

Farafi is an Afro-jazz duo from Germany.

Darlini Singh Kaul and Joy Tyson were raised by musical families. Right from their childhood, they were keen on visiting unfamiliar worlds both in real life and their imagination. Darlini was born in London, with Indian-French roots. She went to a French conservatoire, later on, she studied theatre and dance in the UK. Joy, whose family comes from Eastern Europe, grew up in Clearwater, Florida. When she was 17, she moved to the West Coast to raise dairy goats and study sustainable living in a community in California.

The two women were united by their shared love for African music. From their early beginnings in Goa, they were surrounded by an enthusiastic community of musicians who explored different music traditions, such as Indian classical, Turkish and Arabic maqam. Of course, they were inspired by Western jazzcats as well. When it came to naming their band, the duo drew inspiration from the West African Bambara term ‘Farafina’, meaning the ‘land of the black skin.’ In addition to their own, wildly creative ‘farafish’ language, African vernaculars are key to Farafi’s way of singing.

The heart of Farafi is a duo, with both women singing. Joy plays the cajon, Moroccan krakebs and frame drum, Darlini the West African ngoni, the kashaka and Indian ghungroos. There are exhilarating percussion tracks such as Ey Budida and enchanting acoustic ballads like Sembere. Farafi can extend to as much as a live eight-piece band, creating songs like the female warrior chant Djanya Wofu, an unadulterated blues power. Darlini and Joy encourage every listener to feel the beauty of expression and celebration, with a natural power that resonates in the album title Calico Soul.

Joy and Darlini have travelled the world. Now that they consider Berlin their new home, they teamed up with local label Piranha Records – Kreuzberg’s outpost to send messages from the global underground. After two official bootlegs, the time is right to release Farafi’s debut album. Calico Soul is the poetry of two free-spirited women, joining their voices together with a world-bound, cosmopolitan sound. Calico Soul is a timeless message of hope, togetherness and freedom.