Give Me Hope, by J.P. Bimeni & The Black Belts

Give Me Hope

by J.P. Bimeni & The Black Belts

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billstandard A solid contender for best album of 2022 straight out of the gate ! Shades of Stax style southern soul but the vocals remind me more of the great Al Green. Top notch all the way round if you ask me. Buy this record.

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1.	Four Walls 03:00	lyrics	buy track
Four walls, they surround me Loneliness has found me I'm waiting for you .. to return Open the door, walk right on in Darling lets start all over again (all over again) I must have been out my mind To set you free I must have been blind but now I see It's you I need Open the door, baby, walk right on in Come on darling, lets start all over again I don't know what I was thinking about With your love I thought that I, I could do without And now I'm sitting here, all alone Just waiting, just waiting For you to come-on-home Open the door, baby, walk right on in Baby, open the door, c'mon walk right on in Darling open the door, walk right on in Let's start all over, all over again Baby, open the door Come on, come on walk right on in
2.	Not In My Name 03:29	lyrics	buy track
This is a song for everyone’s soul who fights for a change under the same sky send you some love in these words of thanks for giving me (hope) the hope that is gonna last yeah while this world goes around n’ round round with inequality, injustice and many wars tell me, tell me tell me how many times ...you’ve said to yourself not in my name, not in your name this is a song, for everyone’s hope united for a change, under the same sun sending you my trust, in the name of the almighty because after all, we’re sailing the same boat…..yeah ..hey wait a minute for how long these killings , repression and false dreams when we forget the important things tell me tell me , tell me now how long , do we have to wait saying not in my name, not in your name... ooohh uuuhh it must come a time it must come a time for each and every one yeah so strong as i feel what i am sayin’ for better times, until these nights become days... say it again, not in my name, say it, not in my name it’s time for a change. not in my name it’s time for change not in my (our, your) name come on say it again ….
3.	Find That Love 04:39	lyrics	buy track
Sometimes it feels like we’re running/Against the wind N’we are losing, losing what’s good in everyman yeah So many souls , are living, living in Pain And you can see it, hear it all across this world yeah It doesn’t feel good yeah and its hard to sleep at night When some don’t have the chance yeah To see and feel the peace I say I believe, in the power of love That’s why I stand by Love And I call this world Yeah we can find the way Ooh we can find the way yeah the way home we so already know, that we We can’t keep on this road , yeah And we gotta go back , back to, to the promised land yeah And we’ve seen, so many times for sure The good, goodness of a man (yeah) Being the Lighting and the shining From the dawn of our time yeah And What feels good yeah Is a Brotherly Love Then we can live in the light yeah That’s what feels good I say I believe, in the power of love That’s why I stand by Love And I call this world Yeah we can find the way Yeah... Woooa ... Yeah hein ... Woouuwo... Yeooo… this love Yeah we can find (love) the way home Yeeahhh tulutuuu lulu We can find the way home We can find that love ....
4.	Guilty & Blessed 04:41	lyrics	buy track
I feel guilty, guilty & Blessed I feel guilty, I must confess I feel guilty, guilty & blessed Guilty & blessed Ooh Lord Have mercy on me now This world is full of pain It can weigh on you sometimes A waiting Room yeah A hiding place, if you like yeah Trying to stay strong and break this pain yeah Can be all you need to breath again I feel guilty, guilty & Blessed I feel guilty, I must confess I feel guilty, guilty & blessed Guilty & blessed Ooh Lord Have mercy on me now Memories of cherished friends Slayed on lonely hills To glow a little longer Must have been their only wish They keep calling/can’t go to sleep yeah (go away) Trying (to) make it known (Their) Dying was not in vain Playing people’s lives Like chess on board games You spilling (innocent) blood And it will chase you to your grave Life is life, (it) shall remain divine You long gone, you’ve turned into stone And I am breaking free I feel guilty, guilty & Blessed I feel guilty, I must confess I feel guilty, guilty & blessed Guilty & blessed Ooh Lord Have mercy on me now Ooh lord have mercy bless me Have mercy on me now Cause I wanna break free
5.	Give Me Hope 03:02	lyrics	buy track
Look over there and just look over Again People today, just like you and me Making their way , like they would To the mountainTop Shine bright your crown coz hate will bring u down Hate that you feel can’t serve this world It only consumes & burns you inside Walk around with a heavy load And chained to the ground So get up n lose your cross Get back to yourself Give me Love, Give me hope The world needs Peace yeah Give me love, give hope The world needs harmony yeah Make no mistakes when you swim far in the sea Under your feet you come to miss the land You causing pain and hurting souls That’s no place to stand Shine bright your crown love will set you free Soon you learn how fear’s holding you back Reaching for the stars when the night gets dark One step in the light Power through the chains So get up n lose your cross Get back to yourself Give me Love , Give me hope The world needs Peace yeah Give me love, give hope The world needs harmony yeah Give me Love , Give me hope The world needs Peace yeah Give me love, give hope The world needs harmony yeah
6.	Ghost City 04:00	lyrics	buy track
(Instrumental)
7.	James Stern 03:35	lyrics	buy track
Let me tell you about this man, James stern was his name Everybody got to know him, because he was a real king Let me tell you about this man, James stern was his name Everybody got to know him, His name is among (other) kings Because he spent the days and nights Making the world a better place He risked his life he gave his soul, he faced the nazis on his own Let me tell you about this man, James stern was his name Everybody got to know him, because he is a real king A Blackman, an activist for peace yeah Who wins the trust of evil’s hell He stayed and waited for a while He took a chance to end the pain He had no fear and was so brave He gave his life to end our pain And when the people get to know him, People will celebrate him Look yeah there goes a hero The Idol of idols A Real activist YEAHHH UUUHHH OOH Let me tell you about this man, James stern was his name Everybody got to know him, because he was a real king Let me tell you about a man, James stern was his name Everybody got to know him, because he is a real king I say Look now hein haa Idol of idols A Real activist He’s a best example He won a heaven and more He’s James stern That’s the man’s name now Remember his name James Stern now too lol that’s his name now Fought for a better world James stern now That’s the man’s name
8.	Precious Girl 03:56	lyrics	buy track
OuuuHH YEEAHH I wanna be your man yeah If I was your Man, and you were my sweet Lady I’d treat you right, Endyulowez be free Free to decide where you wanna be If I was your man, you can count on me yeah cause You’re the only one, who knows how to treat me (Say), You’re the only one who knows how to kiss me. Even with ups and downs you still with me I got reasons WHY I wanna be your …man yeah If I was your Man, and you were my sweet Lady I’d treat you right, Endyulowez be free Free to decide where you wanna be If I was your man, you can count on me yeah Hein Cause You’re the only one, who knows how to kiss me So You’re the only one , who knows how to talk to me baby So Even with ups and downs you’d be by my side I’got reasons WHY I wanna be your man yeah And when she smiles, she smiles for me I know it’s you, can’t you give me this chance If I was your Man, and you were my sweet Lady I’d treat you right, and youdloooowez be free Free to decide , where you wanna be If I was your man, you can count on me yeah Please hold me now…precious Lady now yeah I said , Just me and you yeah yeah Me & you You & me Sweet lady You can count on me yeah yeah
9.	When Everything Is Wrong 03:49	lyrics	buy track
Yeah. yeah When everything is wrong, Better stay at home When everything is wrong, take it easy When everything is wrong, You can’t go on When everything is wrong, take it easy A day is feeling wrong & you can’t do nothing Like getting up on the wrong side of the bed Big Rocks & mountains feel like they’re in your way When it’s a bad day Just don’t try it When everything is wrong, Better stay at home When everything is wrong, take it easy When everything is wrong, You can’t go on When everything is wrong, take it easy yeah yeah You’re getting mad and breaking it all, You know that soon You will start crying You get angry, You feel so alone A day like that you prefer dying When everything is wrong, Better stay at home When everything is wrong, take it easy (When )everything is wrong, You can’t go on When everything is wrong, take it easy You know darling, I am coming home , you make me feel good , let me make you feel good Take it easy darling When everything is wrong, Better stay at home When everything is wrong, take it easy When everything is wrong, You can’t go on When everything is wrong, take it easy You can’t go on Nothing else you can do now Better take it easy darling You can’t go on ooh yeah the day is wrong keep yourself positive do it tomorrow is another day The day is wrong better Keep quiet A bad day anyone could have it
10.	Mathematics 03:09	lyrics	buy track
Yeah There is no mathematics, the love I’ve got for you There is no mathematics, Like something you can prove Yeah, baby... yeah. Please stay One plus one, this still doesn’t work with you There’s no equation that can resolve this feeling Cause there’s no way to describe this connection for our love, there is no science Yeah There is no mathematics, the love I’ve got for you There’s no mathematics, Like something you can prove (After horn run) Yeah huh baby Please stay So now that you know, can you help me now Its’ hard to understand when I am out of control Believe me girl, I have tried all I can Believe me girl, There’s NO science Yeah There’s no mathematics, the love I’ve got for you There’s no mathematics like something you can prove Ooh my lord Yeeeeah uuuuuhh yeah There’s no equation That can explain This feeling I got for you I’ve tried all I can So Teach me darling & Let me try understand Coz what I am feeling There’s nothing more real
11.	Found A Good Thang 04:13	lyrics	buy track
I found a good thing And I am gonna make it last forever you make me feel Like a king again Just when Hope Seemed to be lost And never feel, feel again Then you came along Heart like a stone Getting harder Even hard to see Any light again yeah Hurt is hurt it takes somebody/someone like you to feel again from this hurt Your tender Love your tender love came through Just when my heart longed for you yeaahh Heeeyyii ooohh How it feels good To have you into my Life How it feels good To hold you, and breathe again yeaah I know yeah I know that your heart Got hurt before by somebody else …yeah So I have got to Got to tread so carefully so I don't hurt you, hurt your heart. All I wish for I wish we make it work And see this love/grow strong Nothing in this World Nothing makes me feel The way you make me feel And that’s the truth yeah ...

about

Burundian-born soul singer JP Bimeni doesn’t see the world through rose colored glasses, but he exudes optimism in his sophomore album, Give Me Hope. A royal refugee who escaped death more than once and found his sonic calling in the UK, Bimeni's latest channels prime Otis Redding while meditating on ambition, community and love.

Give Me Hope grooves between classic ‘60s Motown and Stax-inspired soul, psychedelia and Afro-funk. Inspired by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and James Stern (the namesake of an empoweringly funky track) and propelled by the wisdom of prolific creators like Lee Scratch Perry, Bimeni’s deep consciousness and vulnerability is on full display without losing pop sensibility.

“I've been trying to see in terms of the journey I’m on as an expressive artist: what I’ve overcome, what's ahead and where I am now. It feels like I have a lot of cleansing to do,” Bimeni says. “It’s an emotional process. Your individual status can change, but you still can identify a lot of your stages and understand how you deal with that internally.”

A descendant of the Burundian royal family whose parents held opposing political views, Bimeni escaped his country aged 15 during the 1993 civil war and genocide. Following multiple attempts on his life, including being poisoned by doctors in hospital, he was given refugee status and fled to Wales. Soon after Bimeni's arrival at Trinity College in Wales -- a school for children who have escaped conflict, where he received a United Nations organised scholarship -- Bimeni was taken record shopping for his birthday. He immediately gravitated toward the music of Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye and his idol, Otis Redding.

“Music is my great escape. My first album, Free Me, was me finally doing what I wanted to do and feeling like music is my freedom,” he says, adding that his frame of mind evolved while recording Give Me Hope. “You realize that you have a platform that is much larger than you expected, so you have to question yourself: What am I trying to express? Who am I?”

JP Bimeni showcases himself as resilient and conscientious, conjuring a deep spirituality and pain to demand hope. After experiencing unimaginable tumult as a young man, Bimeni’s belief that love is our collective future remains steadfast. Where his critically acclaimed debut was a joyous, super funky celebration of achievement – Give Me Hope is a deeper contemplation on the need for unity and a sense of global community.

Much like Otis Redding, Bimeni is a master of both the forlorn and ecstatic. Give Me Hope opens with a cover of Eddie Holman's 1969 string-laced midtempo burner “Four Walls,” in which Bimeni aches with regret of losing a love he once took for granted. On “Not In My Name,” a unique pop-soul message song, Bimeni encourages a reciprocity of our communal existence. He uses the album’s ballads as metaphors for loving thy neighbor, folding hints of gospel and Sam Cooke sweetness into songs such as “Find That Love” and “When Everything Is Wrong”.

Give Me Hope also deals in complex internal themes, and Bimeni imbues “Guilty and Blessed” with his personal history of trauma and war. Hundreds of thousands of people died in Burundi’s 1994 genocide, including some of Bimeni’s young friends. The singer was shot and read his last rites, poisoned by doctors and put on life support – and yet Bimeni managed to survive, thriving as his passion for music unfolded. Yet despite his successes, Bimeni is often wracked with survivor’s guilt.

“I know people who probably deserve more than I do, but they didn't have that chance,” Bimeni says. “I feel blessed to have survived and keep moving. But sometimes I feel guilty. This music is an exploration of my emotional journey to self-discovery and healing.”
Uplifting the album are the supremely funky title track and “Mathematics,” in which stabbing horns and heavy bassline conjure both Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings and Fela Kuti. Bimeni honors his heroes on “James Stern,” a slightly psychedelic tale of the Black activist who destroyed an American neo-Nazi group, adding to the album’s themes of self-empowerment. The horn-forward swing of “Precious Girl” erupts as soul dancefloor crusher, buoyed by Bimeni’s incredible vocal depth.

Much like JP Bimeni’s belief in the need for global cohesion, Give Me Hope is the result of a collaborative effort. His six-piece band, The Black Belts – Rodrigo Diaz "Niño" (drum & percussion), Pablo "Bassman" Cano, Fernando Vasco "Two Guns" (guitar), Ricardo Martínez (trumpet), Rafael Díaz (sax) and Alex Larraga (Keyboards) – contribute their diverse musical backgrounds to the breadth of soul stylings on Give Me Hope. The Black Belts shine throughout but are given space to breath on the cinematic instrumental “Ghost City”.

The creating of Give Me Hope was complex -- from processing trauma to managing during the pandemic. “People are so confined in their houses and the war is financial, for survival. There’s this heaviness of not knowing what’s next.” Bimeni recalled beginning to think that his musical success was a fluke: “But I realized that I'm in the same state with everybody else, which is quite profound. Reflecting on what gave me hope was the right sort of sentiment for this record”.

credits

released February 4, 2022

Recorded, mixed and produced by Tuco Salamanca at Golden Hen Studios (Carabanchel, Madrid). Mastered by Óscar Pablos at AD Mastering, London.
The Black Belts:
Rodrigo Díaz "Niño", drums
Pablo "Bassman" Cano, bass
Fernando Vasco "Dos Pistolas", guitar
Alejandro Larraga, keys, piano
Rafael Díaz, sax
Ricardo "Richy" Martínez, trumpet
J.P. Bimeni , vocals

Additional players:
Rayco "Ray” Gil, percussion
Strings:
Delphine Caserta, Violin
Bruno Vidal, Violin
Jaime Huertas, Viola
Álvaro Huertas, Violoncello

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about

J.P. Bimeni London, UK

J.P. Bimeni…a royal refugee turned soul survivor

J.P. Bimeni is the Burundian-born, London based singer with a voice laced with pain, yearning and soul. His debut single, 'I Miss You' embodies heart-lifting hope that he carries with him having narrowly escaped the Burundian civil war at the end of last century.

Bimeni is paired with the Black Belts, a funk outfit from Spain. ... more

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