Azanyah Let God Come First (1987)
Are our names linked to our destiny? People who convert to new religions can take on a new name to symbolize their new spiritual identity, and names are often changed for marriage or altered and shortened to reflect familiarity and affection. A change in name often connotes a break with the past, significant changes and perhaps some kind of growth, but what about a place?
Many countries on the continent of Africa have only reached political independence from imperialism in the very recent past, the first being Ghana (the former Gold Coast) in 1957. Most of those nations went on to rename themselves to represent their new statehood and independence. But there are notable exceptions like South Africa, which became a democratic country in 1994. Many in the country called for it to be renamed like most of the other countries on the continent, but the name stuck. The most popular name suggested for South Africa was Azania, a Greek word used for the southeastern regions of Africa and popularized by some South African liberation movements. The name hasn’t changed, but clearly the country has moved on in some very important and powerful ways.
The word has Hebrew origins: Azanyah means “God hears.” Deeply invested in spiritual jazz, London-born and Atlanta-based bass player Mamaniji Azanyah adopted this name “for its meaning and personal value,” as he states. In the 1980s, Immanuel Zechariah, a saxophone and flute player who was in a band with Mamaniji, suggested using the name for a new collaborative project they had just launched. And any exposure to their music is an ethereal and deep experience. This name leaves no doubt about what to expect, and “Let God Come First” from Azanyah’s 1987 album The One, which is today’s song, is so beautiful, it simply must be experienced.
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