Album Notes

This solo project from Rasheed Ali (of Rain People) celebrates the Calabash or African Hard-Shelled Gourd. This sacred plant has given the world many icons of African Music
And culture. The Shekere, Bendere, Kora, Balafon, Mbira and Banjos are just some of the musical instruments that have utilized this utilitarian plant.


For Rasheed, this work satisfies a life-long dream of recording the traditional Caribbean rhythms of his childhood. Rooted in the Western region of the African continent, these rhythms represent the pulse of the arid Sahel to the tropical Gulf of Guinea.
In the creation of this recording, Rasheed used approximately 30 of his gourd drums. Each drum has its own subtle and delicate tone that creates a distinctly African voice.
When The Empty Vessel Speaks, its ancient voice will draw listeners into a mystical trance.