With the release of an album unlike anything he has ever done before, PJ Morton takes listeners on a journey from Cape Town to Cairo.
The project, which is out now via Morton Records/EMPIRE, is what Graceland was to Paul Simon, but instead of music, lyrics, or preconceptions, the five-time GRAMMY winner fully created his new LP during a 30-day journey across Africa.
Last fall, he arrived on the continent with nothing more than the wild dream to make a record in a month and a mission to immerse himself in as many diverse stories, customs, and communities as he could.
PJ Morton reflected on his travels, which included trips from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; Cairo, Egypt; and back to South Africa, the majority of which he was seeing for the first time.
“I wanted to capture the emotions I felt while I was on the continent, so I made a promise that I wouldn’t write anything before I arrived in Africa, and I wouldn’t write anything after I left – I ended up recording all my vocals before I left too. It really was an experiment in trusting my instincts.
“I have the ability to overthink as many of us do, so I wanted to spark something that had real stakes. What ended up happening was that all of my raw thoughts and influences came out all at once. There’s of course R&B and soul, but there’s also gospel in songs like ‘Simunye,’ pop in ‘Count On Me,’ jazz on ‘All The Dreamers,’ all combined with the inspiration of Africa.
“We didn’t have the luxury of time to police which genres would fit where, and the origins of all this music started in Africa anyway. Cape Town to Cairo is the diaspora in music form, done my way.”
From Cape Town to Cairo, PJ Morton uses music as his most universal language while working with featured artists such as Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, Asa, Ndabo Zulu, and Soweto Spiritual Singers; producers include P.Priime and The Cavemen; and his own live band and local musicians.
In “Smoke & Mirrors,” which was recorded the day after Fela Kuti’s birthday celebration, he draws a connection between New Orleans and Lagos, while the evocative arrangements of “Please Be Good” and “Simunye (We Are One)” featuring Soweto Spiritual Singers highlight indigenous sounds and the joy of being a part of something greater than oneself.
Whether the song evolved over several nations, as in the case of “All The Dreamers” featuring Asa & Ndado Zulu, or came to him all at once, Morton was always filled with gratitude, which was evident in “Thank You.” He was also conscious of his own ancestry and that of many others whose ancestors were taken from Africa (“Who You Are” featuring Mádé Kuti).
In “Count On Me,” he and Fireboy DML share an inspiring message about the strength of friendship and unanimity with the entire globe.
PJ Morton also commemorates the launch of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure this month, in addition to traveling from Cape Town to Cairo.
With its unique, New Orleans-inspired soundtrack and theme song, “Special Spice,” the new ride will debut on June 28 at Disney World and later this year at Disneyland. Morton is the first Black composer to develop music for a Disney attraction. Watch him talk about his “dream come true” during the musical climax and dreamlike first glimpse of the journey.
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In addition, PJ Morton has declared that his memoir, which spans his entire career, will be published this autumn. Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, published by Worthy Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, arrives on November 12th. In it, he recounts and muses over a path that has broken new ground and continues to defy expectations while balancing the conflicts between race and culture, music and faith, expression and identity.
He continues to be dedicated to unwavering independence, creating music on his own terms, despite his journey from preacher’s kid to the busiest man in showbiz. He has performed everywhere from his family congregation to the Super Bowl, working with everyone from his father to Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste, and Lil Wayne.
Prior to that, PJ Morton and his band will set out on a comprehensive global tour, spanning from Cape Town to Cairo, with additional dates to be announced soon.
Following a sold-out appearance at Roots Picnic, Morton will be touring North America from summer to fall. He will make visits at numerous locations, including NYC’s Beacon Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, LA’s The Wiltern, and many more. In addition, he will continue to play shows with Maroon 5 and maintain his residency in Las Vegas.
Smoke & Mirrors, Count On Me featuring Fireboy DML, Please Be Good, Who You Are with Mádé Kuti, Thank You, I Found You, All The Dreamers featuring Asa & Ndabo Zulu, Home Again, and Simunye (We Are One) featuring Soweto Spiritual Singers are among the tracks on the album Cape Town to Cairo.
You can listen to Cape Town to Cairo on Morton Records/EMPIRE and watch a new, full-length lyric video that shows the album’s creation process.
