The Different Shades of Mo Kolours
Half-Mauritian, half-English producer, singer and percussionist Joseph Deenmamode aka Mo Kolors brought the rhythm of East Africa to the shores of Asia.
The Ravanne, Mauritius’ traditional drum
Raised on the traditional sega music of his father’s Indian Ocean homeland alongside records of Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson, Mo Kolours expresses universal sentiments with intricate detail through his music. He synthesises a variety of styles and creatively combines elements of hip hop, dub, soul and other genres, resulting in his own distinct sound - a modern mix of melodies with palpably percussive roots.
After the release of his third album, the groovy-meditative Inner Symbols, Mo Kolours hit the hubs of Asia with shows in CATS Bar (Osaka), 12X12 (Bangkok), and Pisco Bar (Kuala Lumpur), delivering his collage of cross-cultural rhythms.
“Inner symbols is a musical path that begins within, and reveals itself outwardly, only to return to the INNER. Themes are: introspection, truth, history, family, mental nature of reality, recognizing positivity, greed, honesty, unity, love, ignorance, lust, and of-course DRUMS!” - Mo Kolours
Listen to the delicately compelling Inner Symbols below:
Along with Reginald Omas Mamode IV, Jeen Bassa, Henry Wu, Al Dobson Jr, and Tenderlonious, Mo Kolours forged the 22a co-operative praised as “a kaleidoscopic patchwork of hip-hop, house, and groove investigations bound by one thread: a timeless belief in rhythm as a universal language.”
His performance for the electrocaïne live sessions saw him set up and jam out on a Mauritian shoreline: