(October 10, 2022) With strong symphonic sweeps and African percussion pulsating across quasi-house beats, Lee England, Jr does the unimaginable on his latest single “Beyond.” On the self-penned and produced track, the celebrated violin virtuoso (often dubbed The Soul Violinist) revamps the gospel hymn “This Little Light of Mine” inside an oasis of tranquil R&B.
“I found a light…inside of me and I’m gonna let it shine for all the world to see it,” England, Jr. passionately sings before executing sharp trills and syncopated rhythms on his instrument. He doesn’t act alone. After hearing the voices of an angelic children’s choir atop serenading woodwinds, the captivating voice from Tanzanian poet Gynah echoes poetic lines from Rwanda’s Eric 1Key to help close out the journey.
The song, mostly instrumental in its four-minute-and-44-second trek, is a mighty undertaking of a hybrid, merging contemporary African sounds with a type of Ne-yo-esque pacing. And at this moment in time, when movie theatres are fully embracing the Viola Davis-starring film ‘The Woman King’ and soon will be expecting the cinematic release of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, it’s a glorious opportunity to discover Lee’s African-centric “Beyond.”
Check out the new single from Lee England, Jr. and let us know if it goes “beyond” your expectations.
By J Matthew Cobb
Lee England, Jr. – “Beyond”
