Music Review: Absquatulate – Sam K!mera

'Absquatulate' is the title of Sam K!mera’s new single.

No, it’s not a made-up word.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word as 'an informal, humorous English verb that means to leave suddenly, depart hurriedly, or flee (sometimes with the added implication of making off with something or someone)'.

Welcome to Sam K!mera’s fun side. Apparently he does have one. The man who has somehow created a brand that is defined by poignantly beautiful love songs and inspirational gospel music has lately developed a knack of dropping music that showcases his fun side.

And this is not the first time either.

Before this, Sam gave us Awama Money, Omuwala, and the light-hearted Kano Akayimba.

Absquatulate appears to be a song about self-restraint. The song is produced as a sort of Afro-beat/Uga-Flow mashup, blending elements of gospel, neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop, dancehall and, dare I say, Zouk? It is deceptively simple, with an acoustic guitar running the main instrumentation backdrop against a gorgeously subtle percussive run.

The song eventually incorporates synth organ sounds and a call-and-answer vocal section that captures the inclusive appeal that the song is going for.

Absquatulate is light-hearted fun with a bit of a serious message behind it. The contrast is underlined by two separate versions of Sam in the song, with one enunciating the word perfectly while another version gives it the Ugandan accent treatment (which can be violent).

I think what the song manages to achieve almost unconsciously is a percussive sing that is almost hypnotic. You can’t help but sway along to that groove. Along with the call-and-answer section in the background led by Sam (who sounds like he is having the time of his life), it is a track that offers the opportunity for some good, clean fun.

And in case you didn’t know, this is actually possible.

The gospel message of what Sam is communicating comes to the fore here with the word 'absquatulate'. When fighting temptation, don’t waste time deliberating. Absquatulate.

I enjoyed this. And I enjoy the fact that he has fun with his art.