Thomas Umbaca

“UMBAKA is my last name, a particular sound that repeats in an endless rhythm, the one that has been with me since I first opened my ears – umbakaumbakaumbaka.”

“UMBAKA,” the debut album by young pianist and composer Thomas Umbaca is released Oct. 13, 2023

Preceded by the singles “I’m in a carousel” and “Baile,” with which Thomas drew the boundaries of his musical journey, “UMBAKA” is everyone and everyone’s. A cathartic experience that makes its way through sounds that are very different from each other, but at the same time extremely close, giving voice to the interiority that distinguishes us as human beings. A merry-go-round of shadows and light capable of transforming into a welcoming refuge for anyone who immerses themselves in listening to it as it tells of a humanity we all know.

The “K” present in the album’s title comes from the belief that originally, the artist’s last name was spelled using this phonetic symbol-a journey that takes us back to the ancient Phoenicians for whom the “K” symbolized an open hand. Hence originates the union that links the notes released by his piano with the physicality of bodies and hands that become the main vehicle of his music. A sound that Thomas echoes through the fingers and bodies he symbolically plays on the album cover. In this way, his music loosens the anagraphic and individual ties around his figure, spreading freely through space and time, penetrating the soul of each of us.

UMBAKA – Tracklist 

1. Opening

2. Shell 

3. Miriam The Diary

4. Baile

5. A Long Breath (Interlude)

6. Maha is Dancing

7. October is a Slow Song

8. Light Dreamers

9. I’m in a Carousel

10. Closing

• Share