JAZZ SONGSTRESS BOUVIER RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE ‘MOTHER TONGUE MANTRA’
Renowned ancestral jazz vocalist, songwriter, producer and cultural innovator BOUVIER returns with her most soul-stirring release to date ‘MOTHER TONGUE MANTRA’, the lead single from her forthcoming third album, Mother Tongue: An Ancestral Jazz Journey, to be released via The WISE Fund’s Soul Fusion program. A meditative fusion of ancestral jazz, Afro-spiritual music, and deep-rooted storytelling, the track is a tribute to maternal wisdom, cultural memory, and the universal rhythms that connect Black people and all humanity across time and space. Written and produced by Bouvier herself, and arranged by Grammy Award-winning bassist Ben Williams, ‘Mother Tongue Mantra’ features a world-class ensemble from Mexico and Cuba, including Carlos Vargas on piano, Sergio Carillo on bass, Isidro Capilla on drums and percussion, and Freddy Thomson on alto saxophone.
A deeply personal composition, ‘Mother Tongue Mantra’ was born from a dream and ancestral visitation, a recurring theme in Bouvier’s songwriting. Inspired by her Gullah Geechee heritage and her experience as a caregiver to her mother – who has battled Lewy Bodies dementia and Parkinson’s for 14 years – the song explores how Afromusic serves as a sonic bridge between generations, a vessel for cultural transmission, and a source of spiritual grounding. Driven by an ethereal vocal delivery, chant-like cadence textures, layered instrumentation, and poetic lyricism, the song echoes the oral traditions of the African Diaspora, carrying the weight of history while offering a soothing balm for the present. “This song came to me in meditation,” Bouvier shares. “It’s a reflection on how mothers – both biological and symbolic – shape our souls, pass down knowledge through sound, and remind us of who we are.”
With its hypnotic Afrodiasporic rhythm, haunting melodies, and poignant message, ‘Mother Tongue Mantra’ is a call to unity and remembrance, reinforcing the idea that Mother Africa, the cradle of civilization, continues to speak through us all. Drawing inspiration from spirituals, Yoruba sacred traditions, and Civil Rights-era jazz music of her heritage, Bouvier channels ‘Mother Tongue Mantra’ as a healing anthem for a world in need of reconnection, hoping that the song calms the soul, stimulates hope, and activates change. Set to be released on March 7, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2025, the song marks Bouvier’s continuing journey to fuse music, activism, and ancestral wisdom into a movement of sound, spirit, and social change.
