Suns of Arqa

Formed in 1979 in London, England. This world music collective is led by founder and mentor Michael Wadada; since the release of the group's 1979 debut LP Revenge of the Mozabites, some 200 members from around the globe have passed through its ranks, many of them met by Wadada during his extensive travels and sharing his interest in indigenous, tribal, folk and classical music traditions. In addition to subsequent LPs including 1980's Wadada Magic, 1982's India? and 1984's Ark of the Arqans, the Suns of Arqa regularly backed dub legend Prince Far I, even performing at his final concert (captured on the Live with Prince Far-I LP). With the masterful Land of a Thousand Churches, Wadada began issuing the group's material on his own Arka Sound label; a flurry of releases followed, among them Alap-Joe-Jhala, Jaggernaut (Whirling Dub) and Shabda. The advent of the World Wide Web also brought a major new dimension to the Suns of Arqa aesthetic, with the collective's website (https://www.sunsofarqa.co.uk) actively soliciting music, lyrics, remixes and other creative contributions for future projects, expanding their global network of participants further than ever before. — Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide