Over 120 drum & bass acts have contributed to a very special charity VA compilation – Tribute To Jabaru: A Call For Your Mental Health.
Released today, October 10, World Mental Health Day, the album has been curated by Drumad founder Hugo Marques to celebrate the contributions, influences and legacy of Afonso Santos AKA Jabaru, a young Portuguese artist who the scene sadly lost in January.
All proceeds of the album will go to Portuguese mental health organisation GIRA.
Sorely missed across all corners of the drum & bass movement, contributors paying tribute to Jabaru include Conrad Subs, HLZ, Dunk, Kidsonic, Myth, Gifta, Scartip, Yatuza, Sola, Xyde, Albees, Oli Lewis, Tryst Temps, pyxis, Invadhertz, Kalane and many others including Koax who collaborated with Afonso prior to his passing. The end result is the track Papii, which we’re premiering here today. It sounds like this…
Papii is one of seven posthumous Jabaru collaborations on the album which came about through a local group of friends and peers in Portugal.
“When I found out about his death I was part of a group of Portuguese producers and DJs and we all spoke about how we could pay respect to Afonso and everything he had done,” says Hugo . “I came up with the idea of a compilation and put the idea on Facebook. I spoke to so many people and eventually I ended up with dozens of tracks. It was very overwhelming and so nice to see.”
Comprising 111 tracks, the album is the largest community-sourced D&B album we’ve seen since the historic Together For Ukraine release in February 2022 and is another reminder of how well the international drum & bass community unites for important causes. In light of Afonso’s own circumstances and tragic passing, all profits raised will go to GIRA, a national mental health intervention and rehabilitation ogranisation.
“GIRA are a very inspiring organization,” says Hugo. “They support people with mental health and provide support in accommodation and rehabilitate and empower a lot of people. I am very proud to say that the profits from the album is going to help them.”
It’s a fitting way to pay tribute. As Hugo explains, Afonso was a selfless source of inspiration and assistance in the scene. “He was a very passionate and positive person,” Hugo states. “He was always congratulating people for their successes and achievements. He was more interested in other people’s happiness than his own gains. I know he was very helpful to a lot of people and very inspiring. He will never be forgotten.”
Pay respect to Jabaru’s legacy and support the album on Bandcamp.
