“I’m a Tribe” is a groovy trap song that combines electronic beats with hip hop and Yemenite traditional music. The track is a collaboration between Loco Hot, a duo comprised of producer / drummer Tamir Muskat and singer Gilad Kahana, and A-WA, a band of three sisters that explore a style they call Yemenite Folk’n’Beat.
The song was jump-started by Kahana’s English lyrics, which A-Wa translated into Yemenite – riding on a custom Muskat beat. Kahana says his words originated from the idea that humanity is one tribe, despite the fact that societies can seem fragmented. A-Wa agrees: “We wanted to remind people of the true essence of why we are here: Love and unity.”
The ‘drop’ (instrumental melody) was created by Muskat editing A-Wa’s voices into a synth sound, then re-playing it like an instrument. From there on, A-Wa recalls, “We all worked together in the studio, brainstorming and developing the melodic structure.” Kahana plays with lyrics as adeptly as Muskat manipulates beats and samples. “He’s a master of his craft,” Muskat says. “So working with him on ideas is amazing. Great stories just flow out of him!”
Check out the colorful video for “I’m A Tribe ( Feat. A-WA)”