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This is a very interesting one. Niwel Tsumbu is a nylon string guitar maestro who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo but relocated to Ireland in 2004. He has performed with the Buena Vista Social Club and Nigel Kennedy across the years and is part of Rhiannon Giddens’ touring band, having also contributed to her 2021 Grammy Award-winning album They’re Calling Me Home, with Francesco Turrisi. Milimo is Niwel’s first solo album, a wonderful collection of thirteen short tracks, twelve being original solo nylon string guitar instrumentals and one a traditional vocal track.
At times, like on Rubato, there is a hint of less intense nylon string Tashi Dorji in the playing, with flamenco flourishes stifled and played purposefully abruptly. Elsewhere, a musician like Bola Sete springs to mind, like perhaps the jazz-tinged Tears of Joy being reminiscent of O Astronauta from Bola’s Ocean album, albeit played crisper. And this is certainly a detail that resonates throughout Milimo: Niwel is a hell of an accomplished player, his tunes sounding complex yet impeccably performed throughout. According to the liner notes, each piece here is a single take, but if requested, Niwel could perform the song again, note perfectly. It demonstrates a profound knowledge of an instrument, with the creativity to make it sound beautiful.
Other high points are the three micro Étude pieces, with a combined run time of just over a minute. These brief interludes vary in mood, with I being a fingerstyle workout with hints of Mason Lindahl’s Sky Breaking, Clouds Falling about it. II sounds more like a sunny morning, while III has the cheeky character of a cartoon soundtrack. The latter leads into The Silence Within, an excellent example of how effectively Niwel can leave space in a piece and enhance a sense of unease with drawn-out notes and subtle resonance. It is music at its most restrained and my favourite of the set.
That said, I like the whole lot; each song here feels like a polished gem, with nothing superfluous or surplus to requirements. Just listen to Polyphony, for example; in less than two minutes, a complete piece is laid out, with a tight melody shifting as the tune develops, bringing in light and shade. It’s quite something and one of many points in this wonderful set that makes you just stop and listen. What a lovely thing this album is.
Watch the animated video for Milimo (Videographer, Illustrator and director Kemane Bâ)
Milimo (4th October 2024) Diatribe Records
Recorded 17-18 July 2023 by Dom Shaw at Realworld studios
Mixed by Jerry Boys
Mastered by Christoph Stickel
Produced by Nick Roth for Diatribe Records
