J Morton has announced a new album titled Cape Town to Cairo, which is set to release on June 14, 2024. This album, recorded over 30 days in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Egypt, features collaborations with artists such as Fireboy DML, Asa, Mádé Kuti, Ndabo Zulu, and the Soweto Spiritual Singers. The album captures his experiences and the connections he formed during his journey through Africa.
The album includes tracks like “Count On Me” featuring Fireboy DML and “Who You Are” featuring Mádé Kuti, blending PJ Morton’s R&B, soul, and gospel styles with African musical influences.
In support of the album, PJ Morton will embark on the Cape Town to Cairo Tour across North America this summer and fall, with over 25 dates in cities such as New York, Chicago, Nashville, and Los Angeles.
Reflecting on his travels– from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Cairo (Egypt), and back down to South Africa again, most of which he was visiting for the very first time– PJ Morton says: “I wanted to capture the emotions I felt while I was on the continent, so I made a promise that I wouldn’t write anything before I arrived in Africa, and I wouldn’t write anything after I left– I ended up recording all my vocals before I left too. It really was an experiment in trusting my instincts. I have the ability to overthink as many of us do, so I wanted to spark something that had real stakes.”
Speaking on how he put the album together, PJ Morton said:
“What ended up happening was that all of my raw thoughts and influences came out all at once. There’s of course R&B and soul, but there’s also gospel in songs like ‘Simunye,’ pop in ‘Count On Me,’ jazz on ‘All The Dreamers,’ all combined with the inspiration of Africa. We didn’t have the luxury of time to police which genres would fit where, and the origins of all this music started in Africa anyway. Cape Town to Cairo is the diaspora in music form, done my way.”
While collaborating with featured artists including Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, Asa, Ndabo Zulu, and Soweto Spiritual Singers, producers like P.Priime and The Cavemen, his own live band and local musicians, ‘Cape Town to Cairo’ finds PJ Morton using music as his greatest common language.
He connects New Orleans to Lagos on ‘Smoke & Mirrors’– recorded a day after Fela Kuti‘s birthday festivities- while the transportive arrangements of ‘Please Be Good’ and ‘Simunye (We Are One)’ feat. Soweto Spiritual Singers showcase native sounds and the pride in belonging to something bigger than oneself.
