Hijrah – Truly Free / Time

Oakland CA, 1981:Hijrah, a vocal group formed from a small Sunni Muslim community in East Oakland, independently releases an album calledTruly Free. Locally successful but without distribution, it quickly goes out of print, falling into obscurity. Now rare, prized and sought-after for its beautiful combination of multipart harmonies, soul-jazz backing, and uplifting spiritual message, Key System present this first-ever reissue, licensed directly from the group, and coupled with their 1985 follow-upTime— a funky and eclectic update of the Hijrah sound which sadly never saw the light of day. Mastered byJessica Thompson, with exhaustive historical listening notes byJohn Morrison. Pressed at Gotta Groove in Ohio; edition of 500.