Hanna Paulsberg Concept & Magnus Broo - Daughter Of The Sun (2018)

Fourteen centuries before Cleopatra, queen Hatshepsut became one of the few women to rule Egypt. Artworks at the time portrayed her with masculine muscles and a Pharaonic beard, but these icons were smashed to smithereens in Hatshepsut's burial chamber. Clearly she upset the male hierarchy back then. Three and a half thousand years later, this fourth album from Norwegian artist Hanna Paulsberg is dedicated to Hatshepsut and all women who fight for recognition.

Paulsberg's father was a jazz drummer, but his daughter only turned to the genre via a compilation featuring Stan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Straying from her Nordic roots, she began looking to America and Africa for inspiration.

Influences from both continents are evident on this sensual and sorcerous album. In a bid to stave off complacency, the band brought skilled Swedish trumpeter Magnus Broo on board. His force is felt on opening cut "Scent Of Soil"—the most affecting chunk of mysticism you could wish for. A heartbroken piano motif, the barest of sax breaths and a murmurous chorus enfold you. Dabs of double bass and Broo's trumpet then gradually ease the mood into something lucent.