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Acacia

from Botanique by Mondocane

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The “Ténéré Tree” was a solitary acacia, a tree that once grew in the middle of the Sahara desert, in a region called Ténéré. It was the most isolated tree on Earth: not a single other tree could be seen for 250 miles. And yet, the tree became an important ceremonial gathering place for traders and travelers as they crossed the desert. It brought people together for community, ritual and rest. It was a landmark on caravan routes through the desert in northeast Niger. Although the tree has been dead for more than 50 years, its legend lives on. The tree’s incredibly ability to survive in the otherwise desolate wasteland was only surpassed by its poor luck. The only real mystery left in the story is how in the world two separate drivers managed to hit the only living thing for hundreds of miles. Later in 1973, after a Libyan driver decapitated the tree from its roots, an anonymous artist erected a monument to commemorate the tree’s existence. Made from recycled pipes, oil barrels, and discarded auto parts, perhaps it symbolized the destruction of the natural world by means of a careless, mechanized society. Regardless, it serves as a reminder of the legendary tree of Ténéré whose majestic limbs astounded, comforted, and guided travelers for many years.
The track that is inspired by this story features samples of Orere Eljigbo, a song by nigerian duo Lijadu Sisters. Its lyric, sung mostly in Yoruba, refers to the “trouble in the streets” endemic in urban Nigerian life back in the 70s – trouble frequently caused by the supposed forces of law and order. The words cite the legend of a destructive princess, and tell the government it should be nurturing the people, not destroying them, their environment and their culture.

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from Botanique, released May 5, 2021

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Mondocane Rome, Italy

Tribal • Sexy • Shamanic • Dancefloor

enquiries:
andrea.mondocane@gmail.com

[out on Shango Records, La Tempesta. Coming soon: Cosmivision Records, Harabe Lab, Tropical Twista, Oxhalá] ... more

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