Nickodemus – SUN PEOPLE (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

July 19, 2009 by Dennis Amith 

“Nickodemus gives us his eyes to the musical world as music from various parts of the globe lends its diverse styles in ‘SUN PEOPLE’.  Musically ambitious but overall, great vibes, cool selections and overall, enjoyable!  An awesome album demonstrating world groove!”

ARTIST: Nickodemus

ALBUM: SUN PEOPLE (Digital Version)

LABEL: ESL Music

DURATION: 46:15

RELEASE DATE: August 10, 2009

1. Sun People
2. Sun Children
3. La Lluvia
4. The Love Feeling
5. 2 Sips & Magic
6. Just Move!
7. Brookarest
8. Didibina
9. Gira Do Sol
10. Calle Sol
11. We Rise We Fall We Rise
12. N’Dini

BUY THIS ALBUM:

The musical alchemist, New York DJ extraordinaire Nickodemus returns with a new album titled “Sun People” which comes out on August 10th.

The second full-length album since “Endangered Species” (2006), many fans have been waiting a solo full-length album release and for those wondering if “Sun People” is worth the wait, my answer is most definitely.

“Sun People” is an album which sports variety as Nickodemus has been inspired with music around the world, so tracks can be a mix of urban dance music, reggae, Latin, funk and more.  If anything, it’s that inspiration from different parts of the globe that makes “SUN PEOPLE” so captivating.

Joining Nickodemus are well-known names from his “Endangered Species” album such as Jay Rodriguez, Qnatic, Hector “Tempo” Alomar & The Candel Allstars, Zeb, Nappy G and & Real Live Show.  New collaborations include Guinean-born singer Ismael Kouyate, Indian classical/pop singer Falu, Richard Shepherd of Radio Mundial and MC Kwasi from the UK and many more.

The album kicks of with the short “Sun People” intro that gives us that whimsical, dream-time feel.  The intro then transitions to “Sun Children” (feat. The Real Live Show) striking a beautiful balance with the brass horns and hip hop.

The third track “La Lluvia” features a collaboration with Richard Shepherd and is produced by Quantic.  The song sports an energetic Latin samba style that is just fun and enjoyable to listen to.

The fourth track “The Love Feeling” (feat. Brian J of the Pumps of Joytime) sports an upbeat funky style and mesmerizing groove.

The fifth track “2 Sips & Magic (feat. the New York Gypsy Allstars)” definite sports the gypsy musical vibe.  This track and how it balances traditional music with modern percussion and vibes.  Overall, a very cool track!

The sixth track “Just Move!” features a collaboration with UK’s MC Kwasi for an upbeat reggaeton-like hip hop track.

The seventh track “Brookarest” features a collaboration with Costel and Roberto of the Traf de Haidouks and sporting Middle Eastern vibe vibes with infectious grooves.

The eighth track “Didibina” is an upbeat, enjoyable track featuring a collaboration with Indian classical and pop singer Falu and a track produced by Quantic.

The ninth track “Calle Luna Calle Sol” sports a Latino-based track and features the Candela Allstars.

The tenth track “weRISEweFALLweRISE” features an experimental track featuring Middle Eastern style of music and a variety of instrumentals.

The album ends with “N’Dini” featuring a collaboration with Guinean singer Ismael Kouyate.  The track features a cool deep groove with brass horns.  Another enjoyable track.

Nickodemus “SUN PEOPLE” is definitely an ambitious album, quite significant in its worldly appeal but easily enjoyable for its  wide variety of music.  At the core of the album is the appreciation of music worldwide that Nickodemus has and taking listeners on a journey to experience different styles of music and I felt that each collaboration on this album was special.

Overall, the music is catchy, grooves are addictive and more than anything, positive and uplifting from beginning to end.  Definitely recommended listening!