Kofi is a Ghanaian highlife legend. We met today and I listened to a few of his albums. He formed the Okukuseku International Band in Accra in 1969, released music throughout the 70s and became one of Ghana’s top acts by the time he left for Nigeria in 1979. He kept recording in Eastern Nigeria, incorporating musical elements from this other highlife hotbed. He now lives between Ghana and Nigeria and occasionally plays for Ghanaians abroad, but has yet to truly breakthrough. Akwaaba’s hoping to re-release and probably remaster some of his great highlife. For the time being all we could find online were these – out of stock last time we checked, but the covers alone are worth checking!
Today I met with Ivorian stars DJ Menza and Kedjevara, what a trip. Menza flaunted a skin tight white outfit, Kedjevara was slightly more subtle, and both were down with Akwaaba, so we’ll be releasing some of their coupé décalé hits for the rest of the world to enjoy and dance!
Kedjevara and Benjamin Lebrave finalizing their deal in Yopougon (Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
It’s Friday night, Abidjan is steaming, and we’re headed to the Rue Princesse. Numerous ‘maquis’ (outdoor bars) line up one of West Africa’s most notorious party spots. The place is booming with coupé décalé and zouglou beats, the voices of Kedjevara, Menza, Les Patrons or DJ Bonano mingling with shouts, laughter, cars honking and street vendors vending! There’s usually no dancefloor at most maquis’, when people feel like dancing, they get up and dance right where they are, standing or at their table.
A Maquis in Yopougon’s Rue Princesse (Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
I had a chat with Lloyd today, half of Sierra Leonian duo Eden Roots lIberation. We chat about music and how he became a musician. Here are some of his words:
“From the very begining, I loved music, in particular reggae music. I was also living with musicians. When I was looking at them playing, I wanted to be able to do the same. In the same time I was learning to play bass, I began creating my own songs and singing them. It was something obvious for me. I was here to be a musician, a composer and a singer.”
Growing up in Sierra Leone, Lloyd was subject to many new world influences, in particular Caribbean music:
“My most important inspiration comes from Joseph Hill from the Jamaican group Culture, who died recently. They came to Sierra Leone and I saw their concert in Freetown, it was a big moment. I was also inspired by Don Carlos, who was a member of the 12 tribes and who taught me to play music.”
Eden Roots Liberation now has an album under their belt, they’ve been playing consistently throughout West Africa and are eager to spread their message of awareness – as in the song “Open your eyes”, peace and love, especially for the younger generations. Lloyd hopes to play and push his message as far as the US, especially “because the reggae doesn’t seem to be very popular [there]”.
Lloyd from Eden Roots Liberation introduced me to his friend Jahman, who was born in Cameroun but now resides in Bamako, Mali. He’s a reggae singer, with one album out in Mali. “Waiting for the News”. All songs – half of them dub versions – are written by Jahman, arranged and produced by Manjul. They recorded the entire album at Manjul’s Humble Ark studio in Bamako. Jahman also has a track on Humble Ark’s “United Voices of Africa” compilation.
Through Bamako’s French Cultural Center I met Lloyd Tommy, half of Eden Roots Liberation. He and his partner Patrick Kousi are originally from Sierra Leone, the met in Freetown in 1990 through Massive Roots Band, a local reggae group. They started touring West Africa playing for Malian reggaeman Askia Modibo in the late 90s before settling in Bamako, Mali in 2000. After collaborating with many other regional artists, Eden Roots Vibration released its first album, Genesis, in 2006 in Mali, and eventually in Sierra Leone in February 2008. Akwaaba will release the album worldwide in late 2008.
Through Bamako’s French Cultural Center I met Lloyd Tommy, half of Eden Roots Liberation. He and his partner Patrick Kousi are originally from Sierra Leone, the met in Freetown in 1990 through Massive Roots Band, a local reggae group. They started touring West Africa playing for Malian reggaeman Askia Modibo in the late 90s before settling in Bamako, Mali in 2000. After collaborating with many other regional artists, Eden Roots Vibration released its first album, Genesis, in 2006 in Mali, and eventually in Sierra Leone in February 2008. Akwaaba will release the album worldwide in late 2008.