Sélène Saint-Aimé: Potomitan
In Haitian Vodou, the potomitan is the central pillar that holds up the temple. At its base is where ritual sacrifices and offerings take place; along its shaft are carved the foundational images of the religion, encouraging spirits to pass through its structure and transmute into the bodies of the faithful who surround it.
It is an apt symbol for jazz bassist and vocalist Sélène Saint-Aimé’s second album. Written largely during the pandemic, when Saint-Aimé left Paris for her native Martinique to be with family, there is something deeply enigmatic and yet solidly structural about these 11 compositions.
Read the review in the Guardian.
[This piece was published on 25/02/22]