Beat of the Forest: The Colors and Sounds of Central African Republic
Producer Boddhi Satva explores the green trees of his childhood through 'Ancestral Soul' music
Portrait of producer and songwriter Boddhi SatvaOriginal Source: Design Indaba
Meet musician and producer Boddhi Satva
Boddhi Satva is an AFRIMA-nominated producer, songwriter, whose roots lie in the Central African Republic, a home to which he still returns. His sound is deeply rooted in the music and rhythms of CAR and contain melange of trance-inducing stompers he refers to as “Ancestral Soul”.
The TreeDesign Indaba
The sound of the drums beating messages from village to village is one of the earliest influences in Boddhi's music. In his track The Tree, Boddhi conjures up the rainforests of Central African Republic which are often where the early afternoon drumming first begins.
The Tree The Tree by Boddhi SatvaDesign Indaba
For Boddhi, the track takes him back not only to the green forests of his youth, but to one green tree in particular: a mango tree in his garden. Boddhi recalls 'One dry season I remember thinking that this tree would be a beautiful tree to die under.'
The TreeDesign Indaba
Bodhhi remembers thinking 'When I am old I would like to die in the shade of these green leaves.'
The influence of nature and organic beats in Boddhi's music is consistent throughout his work. He attributes this to the impact the beauty of his mango tree had on him as a young boy.
The shades of green found in Central African Republic rainforests resonate strongly with Boddhi who says 'There’s an element of grace and power that comes with the green found in CAR forests. It is a color associated with myths and music'
