A collaborative Afro-pop-, funk-, and soul-influenced outfit, Project Mama Earth features British vocalist Joss Stone, drummer Jonathan Joseph, guitarist Nitin Sawhney, Cameroon-born bassist/guitarist Etienne Mbappé, and keyboardist Jonathan Shorten. Formed in 2017, Project Mama Earth was initially inspired by Joseph's longstanding interest in incorporating funk and R&B grooves with the traditional Cameroonian rhythms of Mangambe and Bikutsi. A longtime Jeff Beck associate and musical director for Stone, Joseph invited Stone to form a band around these concepts. In 2017, the Mama Earth band gathered at Stone's Devon-based home studio, where they wrote and recorded their debut, Mama Earth, over a ten-day period. ~ Matt Collar