Matt B explores ancestral identity and the journey home on ‘My Mother’s Song’

The Alkebulan series grew out of Matt B’s research into his African ancestry. Using genealogical research and DNA testing, he traced his roots to West Africa, particularly Nigeria, and eventually identified his ancestral connection to the Igbo people. His research developed into a deeper engagement with his heritage and newfound family, influencing his approach to music.

“All of the things that our ancestors have been through are within us,” Matt B said. “We hold on to it and it shines through us. For me, I believe it’s in a positive way and that those spirits help to guide us. Which is why for the music that I’m doing now, I felt like I was called or led to it.”

A significant part of that journey was a visit to Ghana’s Cape Coast, including the site commonly known as the “Door of No Return”. The site forms part of the history of the transatlantic slave trade and has become a significant place of remembrance for members of the African diaspora.

Reflecting on the historical significance of the site and his own experience, Matt B said: “I wasn’t walking through my door of no return, I was walking through my door of return.”

He also visited the Assin Manso river, historically associated with the final bathing of enslaved Africans before their forced movement towards the coast. “When I made it to that river, I was not taking my last bath, I was taking my first bath to be ushered back into the continent and to be embraced by my ancestors,” he said.

His reconnection with his heritage was also marked by a traditional title and name. His Royal Majesty Eze Engr Chidume Okoro bestowed on him the Igbo name Ikechukwu, meaning “strength of God”, and gave him the title Chief Ahamefula, meaning “May my name not be forgotten”.

The experience has influenced how Matt B approaches the Alkebulan project, particularly his use of Igbo and Igbo Pidgin. He worked with East and West African songwriters, including Matte ‘Tarley’ Shahidu, Buguma ‘Ghost’ Mark, and Nigerian producer Awe Babalola “Trill Xoe” Babajide to strengthen the linguistic and cultural authenticity of the recordings.

“I worked extremely hard to try and emulate the accent as closely as I possibly could,” he said. “It was a way of showing respect to the music and showing respect to the ancestors.”

A mother’s song across generations

At the centre of My Mother’s Song is a story spanning several generations. Matt B says the song was inspired by the account of a young girl who was taken from Sierra Leone to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade. According to his account, she retained a song taught to her by her mother and passed it through subsequent generations.

“The song was an idea from the 1700s,” he said. “A little girl was kidnapped from Sierra Leone when she was about 9 or 10 years old and taken to the Americas through the middle passage. She held on to a song that her mother taught her and passed it down from generation to generation. Almost 300 years later, her descendants used that song to find their way back home to the exact tribe their ancestor was taken from, using that exact song.”

The narrative informed the song’s themes of endurance, separation and remembrance. Its lyrics speak of missing family members while maintaining the resolve to survive, with the recurring message centred on remembering one's origins.

Grammy-nominated Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara features on the recording, providing the voice of the mother in the song’s narrative. Her contribution adds another West African perspective to a project rooted in the connections between African heritage and the diaspora.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra also contributes to the track, reinforcing its cinematic character and helping Matt B bridge his work in music and filmmaking.

That multidisciplinary approach extends to the wider Alkebulan project. Matt B and his team have travelled across parts of Africa to document the journey visually, with a short film accompanying Alkebulan III: The Water Remembers.

Rather than treating ancestry as a fixed point in the past, ‘My Mother’s Song’ presents it as something that can continue to shape identity across generations. For Matt B, the project has become both a musical exploration and a personal attempt to understand where he comes from.

With ‘My Mother’s Song’ serving as an introduction to the next chapter of Alkebulan, The Water Remembers is set to continue that exploration through music, film and the stories connecting Africa with its diaspora.