Al-Qasar – Desse Barama feat. Alsarah (2025) (single) 

Cover albums are a tricky business. They say nothing beats the original. But

when international psychedelic collective Al-Qasar tackles songs from the

Western pop to the Arab folk repertoires, you know you’re in for a

brain-melting, transcontinental trip. Cultures collide, and the result of this

fission is Depeche Mode sung in Turkish, Sean Paul in Arabic, Nubian legend

Hamza El Din with fuzz guitars and iconic Lebanese composer Wadih El Safi

through space echo.

Produced between Tunis, Lisbon, Los Angeles, London, and Paris,

UNCOVERED contains 7 tracks (4 covers and 3 originals) which tell the story

of a world in flux, with its ancestors deep in the past but its eyes set on the

zeitgeist. It’s retro-futurist Arab psychedelia with a foot in the Mojave and the

other in the Sahara.

The cast is stunning, with innovators, breakthroughs and legends from nine

nationalities represented. All joined forces with studio wizard and composer

Thomas Attar, his vibrant, thick production style enhanced by

Grammy-winner Matt Hyde’s mix (Slayer, Deftones) and by a mastering from

multi Grammy-nominee Frank Merritt (Madlib, Aphex Twin).

Sudanese-American vocalist (and frequent Al-Qasar collaborator) Alsarah

tackles DESSE BARAMA, a peace song by Nubian oud player and singer

Hamza El Din, her hypnotic, soulful voice solidly anchored in a retro, almost

dubby instrumental. PROMISES is an Afro-futurist heavy-psych track in

Bambara which features Malian singer Mamani Keita (Salif Keita) on lead

vocals and the renowned “Black Buddah” Cheick Tidiane Seck (Gorillaz,

Black Eyed Peas, Santana) on keys and backing vocals. Mamani tackles the

subject of commitment, taking a stab at corrupt political leaders who do not

hold their word, while Cheick lets loose brain-melting keyboard lines and

deep, spell-binding vocals. On drums, it’s Souleymane Ibrahim (from

Touareg sensations, Mdou Moctar) unleashing a fury of grooves.