Boundless and bold: Selaocoe blurs borders with groove, grace, and global vision.

Abel Selaocoe returns with another genre-defying statement, following 2022’s Hae Ke Kae, and if that album asked, “Where is home?”, its follow-up answers, “Everywhere.” With his cello, voice, and the ever-adventurous Manchester Collective in tow, Selaocoe dissolves the boundaries between southern African tradition, baroque elegance, jazz spirit, and modern classical textures. The opener, a reimagining of the hymn Tsohle Tsohle, sets the tone—intimate whispers unfurling into a communal celebration, his voice soaring freely above lush string harmonies. Marin Marais’s Les Voix Humaines becomes a deeply personal duet between bow and voice, while Bach’s Sarabande from the Sixth Cello Suite and Giovanni Sollima’s cinematic LB Files are woven into a broader sonic tapestry that never feels forced.

Selaocoe’s own compositions steal the show, though—playful, rhythmically intricate pieces powered by electric bass, percussion, and an astonishing range of vocal expression, from overtone singing to percussive clicks. It’s music that’s instantly accessible, yet packed with layers to reward repeat listens. A vibrant, soulful journey that redefines the limits of what a cello—and a cellist—can do.