Global dembow seems to be a recurring theme in NYC producer ShiShi’s work. A cursory scan of ShiShi’s Soundcloud page shows the “Global Dembow” tag occurring often alongside other internationally-minded fusion genres (“Bollywood House,” “Eastern Trap”). ShiShi’s work itself — joining, melding, mashing musical styles — is fascinating and exciting.
Both undeniably of the moment and yet steeped in traditional beats and rhythms, his latest track “Damelo” shows how societal globalization has brought the sonic commonalities in international rhythms & genres (reggaeton, bhangra, soca, for example) to a convergence in modern music production. The result is a club-ready banger with deep traditional music roots. Other ShiShi tracks explore similar concepts in perhaps even more daring (and rewarding?) ways. “Aarti” is buoyed by house production with bhangra-esque vocals. The result is a stunning, A.R. Rahman worthy work. -juan leon