Hijrah.
Truly Free / Time.
Key System Recordings, 2023.
2xLP.
New, sealed.
Oakland CA, 1981: Hijrah, a vocal group formed from a small Sunni Muslim community in East Oakland, independently releases an album called Truly 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, we are proud to present this first-ever reissue, licensed directly from the group, and coupled with their 1985 follow-up Time - a funky and eclectic update of the Hijrah sound which sadly never saw the light of day. Mastered by Jessica Thompson, with exhaustive historical listening notes by John Morrison, pressed at Gotta Groove in Ohio and limited to 500 copies, Truly Free / Time is a revelation.