Opinion Review

Ottoman Slap: Idiomatic

With a range of eclectic sounds, exotic instruments and foreign genres fused into one unique flavour, Ottoman Slap is a 6-man world-music collective unlike any other band in South Africa and their debut album “Idiomatic” is testament to that.

This is something completely different, which admittedly means that it’s not going to appeal to everyone. The album consists of 9 tracks, 6 originals and 3 reworked pieces, and it’s hard to say which are better, as every track brings with it a fresh sense of marvel at their musical mastery and innovative compositions.

There’s a strong Spanish flare to most tracks, and the overall feel is one of sweltering summers on a Mexican beach with tequila-filled nights and sensual salsa’s with beautiful woman. This is largely thanks to the various traditional instruments used. With anything from a mandolin to percussion instruments like castanets making appearances, every track has a distinct sound, but the entire album flows with a clear narrative and progression.

Lead vocalist Simoné Chiara’s emotive vocal performance is incredibly moving, and in true Spanish fashion, she wails and yelps her way through the emotion-charged tracks, something that takes years to master and perfect. Her register varies, and she manages to dance through highs and lows with incredible ease, though her alto timber is perhaps the most interesting. On ‘Calle del Aire’, she chants meditative phrases that call to mind Indian spirituality, and as far as vocals go, is my favourite track on the album.

Raoul Spiegel and Doug Armstrong play the sax and trumpet respectively, and as most would agree, these are two of the most sensual instruments on the planet. Their appearance in every song certainly adds to, if not forms the base of, the overall sensuality of the album, specifically on instrumental tracks like ‘Clapham Junction’. This particular track also features the double-bass skills of Callan Wolff and percussion couple James and Marissa van Minnen laying down exotic beats and the combination of brass, string and percussion take you through a range of emotions, at once lamenting and elating, like a real love story.

The album was recorded in the Van Minnen’s home, capturing what they describe as “A
balance of domestic charm and exotic fancy” something which is easy to hear and identify with in the tracks. There’s an undeniable familiarity to their music even though everything from the genre, to the instruments, to the language are completely foreign to the average South African listener. Achieving that feeling is no mean feat, and is possibly their greatest accomplishment aside from the compositions.

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Listen to ‘Idiomatic’ below.