Lala Shishi : Ebony – Sponsor

Lala Shishi : Ebony – Sponsor

INTRO by Ebony
Bony pon this

VERSE 1 by Ebony
See I’ve got myself a sponsor
Anything me I ask e dey buy buy
Even though he is older
Well I got to survive in this life
Another one who is younger
When I ask for something e dey cry cry

Ebony talks about the fact that she has two boyfriends. An older man who is married with kids and a younger one around her age. Due to hardships in Ghana some women date older married men to help them get enough cash to look after themselves: pay for school fees, buy clothes, etc. Ebony states how she is aware that the man is older, but she has to survive in this life, pointing out that she knows society in Ghana frowns upon young girls dating men who are old enough to be their parents, but because she has to survive she doesn’t care and will do it anyway. She also talks about the fact that anytime she asks the younger guy for something he complains. “When I ask for something e dey cry cry ” meaning when she asks he cries or complains.

CHORUS by Ebony

Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

” Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia] ” She talks about the fact that anything she asks, the man gives to her.

“Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]” — Due to the fact that the man is married and has to be with his wife and kids most of the time she feels lonely at night.

” Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ

Cool it for me, slow down

Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya

Cool it for me, slow down

Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya “

With this particular line she talks about how when she spends the night with her older boyfriend and tries touching him he complains about having waist pains (Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya), so she should cool it for him or take her time. ” Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya ” — There is a word play in this line. Literally this means “let me hear he is having back pains”, but when spoken it comes out as me koti (penis) ɛyɛ me ya ( hurts). Although Ebony doesn’t say it, this double meaning suggests why she is also involved with the younger man, who evidently fills this other gap 😉

VERSE 2 by Ebony

Inna mi down town hot just like a oven
But when the morning comes mi no have nothing
A boyfriend who cyaan buy you food when you a hungry
Mtcheew is that one too a boyfriend
So I change game move fast switch of the lanes
I got myself a sponsor

In this verse she makes reference to her younger boyfriend who is unable to provide her with money when she needs . She goes ahead to ask: is that one too a boyfriend? This is a line most people use in Ghana to make a point about someone or something being useless. Because her younger boyfriend is unable to provide for her she had to act smart and get herself an older boyfriend (sponsor): “So I change game move fast switch of the lanes I got myself a sponsor”

CHORUS by Ebony
Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

VERSE 3 by Ebony
Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada
Na which young girl no dey fear hunger
Dilemma I’m in dilemma
Bad gyal Ebony in dilemma
Obi kyerɛ me, me nhu nea me fa

With this verse she talks about her love for designer clothes, shoes and handbags, a passion for elegance which she shares with many women in Ghana. ” Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada , na which young girl no dey fear hunger” – talks about being scared of going hungry or broke.

“Dilemma I’m in dilemma , bad gyal Ebony in dilemma” – She is in a dilemma, she doesn’t know if she should stick to her younger boyfriend who loves her but can’t provide for her, or be with her older boyfriend who can provide everything for her, but she knows she doesn’t have a future with such a person.

 

 

Lala Shishi – explain the song, in Ga.

Every week, we will shed some light on the meaning of current hits in and out of Ghana: many bangers have an underlying message or social commentary, carried out using sophisticated and ever evolving wordplay – an aspect that is vastly lost in translation. The music videos don’t always unlock the true meaning or intricacies of hit songs, and lyrics alone are not always enough to understand the numerous double entendre and wordplays, so… here we go!

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Lala Shishi : Ebony – Sponsor

INTRO by Ebony
Bony pon this

VERSE 1 by Ebony
See I’ve got myself a sponsor
Anything me I ask e dey buy buy
Even though he is older
Well I got to survive in this life
Another one who is younger
When I ask for something e dey cry cry

Ebony talks about the fact that she has two boyfriends. An older man who is married with kids and a younger one around her age. Due to hardships in Ghana some women date older married men to help them get enough cash to look after themselves: pay for school fees, buy clothes, etc. Ebony states how she is aware that the man is older, but she has to survive in this life, pointing out that she knows society in Ghana frowns upon young girls dating men who are old enough to be their parents, but because she has to survive she doesn’t care and will do it anyway. She also talks about the fact that anytime she asks the younger guy for something he complains. “When I ask for something e dey cry cry ” meaning when she asks he cries or complains.

CHORUS by Ebony

Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

” Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia] ” She talks about the fact that anything she asks, the man gives to her.

“Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]” — Due to the fact that the man is married and has to be with his wife and kids most of the time she feels lonely at night.

” Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ

Cool it for me, slow down

Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya

Cool it for me, slow down

Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya “

With this particular line she talks about how when she spends the night with her older boyfriend and tries touching him he complains about having waist pains (Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya), so she should cool it for him or take her time. ” Me nkɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya ” — There is a word play in this line. Literally this means “let me hear he is having back pains”, but when spoken it comes out as me koti (penis) ɛyɛ me ya ( hurts). Although Ebony doesn’t say it, this double meaning suggests why she is also involved with the younger man, who evidently fills this other gap 😉

VERSE 2 by Ebony

Inna mi down town hot just like a oven
But when the morning comes mi no have nothing
A boyfriend who cyaan buy you food when you a hungry
Mtcheew is that one too a boyfriend
So I change game move fast switch of the lanes
I got myself a sponsor

In this verse she makes reference to her younger boyfriend who is unable to provide her with money when she needs . She goes ahead to ask: is that one too a boyfriend? This is a line most people use in Ghana to make a point about someone or something being useless. Because her younger boyfriend is unable to provide for her she had to act smart and get herself an older boyfriend (sponsor): “So I change game move fast switch of the lanes I got myself a sponsor”

CHORUS by Ebony
Mese papa yi a m’anya no yi deɛ ɔma me bibia [ɔma me bibia]
Nanso ɛduru anadwo a wobɛhwɛ na aka me nkoa [aka me nkoa]
Ɛda a ɔbɛba me nkyɛn me sɔ ne mu a asɛm a ɔka ne sɛ
Cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Honey, cool it for me, slow down
Me sisi yɛ me ya, eeh ya
Cool it for me, slow down
Me kɔ te a ɛyɛ me ya
Oh Lord have mercy mercy mercy
These broke guys have lot of energy

VERSE 3 by Ebony
Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada
Na which young girl no dey fear hunger
Dilemma I’m in dilemma
Bad gyal Ebony in dilemma
Obi kyerɛ me, me nhu nea me fa

With this verse she talks about her love for designer clothes, shoes and handbags, a passion for elegance which she shares with many women in Ghana. ” Should I leave all these Gucci, Prada , na which young girl no dey fear hunger” – talks about being scared of going hungry or broke.

“Dilemma I’m in dilemma , bad gyal Ebony in dilemma” – She is in a dilemma, she doesn’t know if she should stick to her younger boyfriend who loves her but can’t provide for her, or be with her older boyfriend who can provide everything for her, but she knows she doesn’t have a future with such a person.

 

 

Lala Shishi – explain the song, in Ga.

Every week, we will shed some light on the meaning of current hits in and out of Ghana: many bangers have an underlying message or social commentary, carried out using sophisticated and ever evolving wordplay – an aspect that is vastly lost in translation. The music videos don’t always unlock the true meaning or intricacies of hit songs, and lyrics alone are not always enough to understand the numerous double entendre and wordplays, so… here we go!

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  Music on the Road was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns.  According to Solid K, " The video tries to capture how I feel about music, it depicts how hard it is to explain with words. It shows what a surreal feeling it brings to me.  As can be seen, I walk...

Lasting Music & Disposable Love in Nairobi

Lasting Music & Disposable Love in Nairobi

(Originally published in the Lungu Lungu column at the Fader) Nairobi is a place I have yet to visit, but already I’m hooked to its bustling, cosmopolitan atmosphere. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Just A Band, I follow Sauti Sol on Twitter, I’ve been listening to Kenyan hip hop, hearing about Kenya’s nightlife and now Anto. I’d never heard of him. Clearly, I don’t reside in Nairobi, because it seems everybody there knows him; he’s an actor in Kenya’s top drama series Siri, and now also in Shuga on MTV. I didn’t know any of this, all I had was a tweet with a link to a video. I get a lot of those. I usually let them play in the background, and unfortunately rarely feel the need to even remember the artists’ name.

Not this time. Anto definitely caught my attention, first with his voice and his arrangements, then with the quality of his video. As it turns out, “Chips Funga” is the result of months and months of decanting in the studio, Anto being his own hardest critic. Before the studio were years and years of singing, 20 to be exact, ever since Anto started singing Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly when he was six years old. Anto grew up soaking in soul music from his dad’s record collection and was lucky enough to be born into a family that was highly supportive of his talent and taste for singing. He sang at church, he sang in school. In his own words, Anto was “unstoppable”.

And so is my appetite for Kenyan music. Detractors say Kenyan culture is dead, because folklore and tradition are nowhere near the limelight. I don’t understand how you can tell millions of people their culture is dead. I hear Anto and think to myself, Clearly Kenya is booming. I’m amazed a song like this can be created and recorded so well in Nairobi, so of course I had to geek out and ask Anto about this process.

“Recording live in Kenya is no walk in the park, since not many recording companies can accommodate full bands in their studios,” Anto says. The story is all too familiar: artists are mainly self-funded, which means they cannot afford to take chances. So when they go to the studio, it’s to record a hit. They aim at the most mainstream sound and the most immediate success. Anto laughs, “[Artists] want to churn out music that pleases the air for now, regardless of the possibility of longevity, because some want a quick return and some unfortunately fame.”

This quick hit, quick money, quick fame logic has spurred the growth of home studios, “mushrooming in people’s bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms,” as Anto puts it. Finding a producer who understands an artists’ vision, who can advise on arrangements and deliver on the engineering side has been a real challenge, but the situation is evolving: “Fortunately in Kenya now, music is coming full circle, and there are engineers and producers who are more inclined in quality of music, rather than releasing songs in massive numbers in the hopes of getting hits. And that has really challenged artists to come up with great music,” he says.

Not this time. Anto definitely caught my attention, first with his voice and his arrangements, then with the quality of his video. As it turns out, “Chips Funga” is the result of months and months of decanting in the studio, Anto being his own hardest critic. Before the studio were years and years of singing, 20 to be exact, ever since Anto started singing Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly when he was six years old. Anto grew up soaking in soul music from his dad’s record collection and was lucky enough to be born into a family that was highly supportive of his talent and taste for singing. He sang at church, he sang in school. In his own words, Anto was “unstoppable”.

And so is my appetite for Kenyan music. Detractors say Kenyan culture is dead, because folklore and tradition are nowhere near the limelight. I don’t understand how you can tell millions of people their culture is dead. I hear Anto and think to myself, Clearly Kenya is booming. I’m amazed a song like this can be created and recorded so well in Nairobi, so of course I had to geek out and ask Anto about this process.

“Recording live in Kenya is no walk in the park, since not many recording companies can accommodate full bands in their studios,” Anto says. The story is all too familiar: artists are mainly self-funded, which means they cannot afford to take chances. So when they go to the studio, it’s to record a hit. They aim at the most mainstream sound and the most immediate success. Anto laughs, “[Artists] want to churn out music that pleases the air for now, regardless of the possibility of longevity, because some want a quick return and some unfortunately fame.”

This quick hit, quick money, quick fame logic has spurred the growth of home studios, “mushrooming in people’s bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms,” as Anto puts it. Finding a producer who understands an artists’ vision, who can advise on arrangements and deliver on the engineering side has been a real challenge, but the situation is evolving: “Fortunately in Kenya now, music is coming full circle, and there are engineers and producers who are more inclined in quality of music, rather than releasing songs in massive numbers in the hopes of getting hits. And that has really challenged artists to come up with great music,” he says.

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  Music on the Road was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns.  According to Solid K, " The video tries to capture how I feel about music, it depicts how hard it is to explain with words. It shows what a surreal feeling it brings to me.  As can be seen, I walk...

Lasting Music & Disposable Love in Nairobi

(Originally published in the Lungu Lungu column at the Fader) Nairobi is a place I have yet to visit, but already I’m hooked to its bustling, cosmopolitan atmosphere. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Just A Band, I follow Sauti Sol on Twitter, I’ve been listening to Kenyan hip hop, hearing about Kenya’s nightlife and now Anto. I’d never heard of him. Clearly, I don’t reside in Nairobi, because it seems everybody there knows him; he’s an actor in Kenya’s top drama series Siri, and now also in Shuga on MTV. I didn’t know any of this, all I had was a tweet with a link to a video. I get a lot of those. I usually let them play in the background, and unfortunately rarely feel the need to even remember the artists’ name.

Not this time. Anto definitely caught my attention, first with his voice and his arrangements, then with the quality of his video. As it turns out, “Chips Funga” is the result of months and months of decanting in the studio, Anto being his own hardest critic. Before the studio were years and years of singing, 20 to be exact, ever since Anto started singing Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly when he was six years old. Anto grew up soaking in soul music from his dad’s record collection and was lucky enough to be born into a family that was highly supportive of his talent and taste for singing. He sang at church, he sang in school. In his own words, Anto was “unstoppable”.

And so is my appetite for Kenyan music. Detractors say Kenyan culture is dead, because folklore and tradition are nowhere near the limelight. I don’t understand how you can tell millions of people their culture is dead. I hear Anto and think to myself, Clearly Kenya is booming. I’m amazed a song like this can be created and recorded so well in Nairobi, so of course I had to geek out and ask Anto about this process.

“Recording live in Kenya is no walk in the park, since not many recording companies can accommodate full bands in their studios,” Anto says. The story is all too familiar: artists are mainly self-funded, which means they cannot afford to take chances. So when they go to the studio, it’s to record a hit. They aim at the most mainstream sound and the most immediate success. Anto laughs, “[Artists] want to churn out music that pleases the air for now, regardless of the possibility of longevity, because some want a quick return and some unfortunately fame.”

This quick hit, quick money, quick fame logic has spurred the growth of home studios, “mushrooming in people’s bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms,” as Anto puts it. Finding a producer who understands an artists’ vision, who can advise on arrangements and deliver on the engineering side has been a real challenge, but the situation is evolving: “Fortunately in Kenya now, music is coming full circle, and there are engineers and producers who are more inclined in quality of music, rather than releasing songs in massive numbers in the hopes of getting hits. And that has really challenged artists to come up with great music,” he says.

Not this time. Anto definitely caught my attention, first with his voice and his arrangements, then with the quality of his video. As it turns out, “Chips Funga” is the result of months and months of decanting in the studio, Anto being his own hardest critic. Before the studio were years and years of singing, 20 to be exact, ever since Anto started singing Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly when he was six years old. Anto grew up soaking in soul music from his dad’s record collection and was lucky enough to be born into a family that was highly supportive of his talent and taste for singing. He sang at church, he sang in school. In his own words, Anto was “unstoppable”.

And so is my appetite for Kenyan music. Detractors say Kenyan culture is dead, because folklore and tradition are nowhere near the limelight. I don’t understand how you can tell millions of people their culture is dead. I hear Anto and think to myself, Clearly Kenya is booming. I’m amazed a song like this can be created and recorded so well in Nairobi, so of course I had to geek out and ask Anto about this process.

“Recording live in Kenya is no walk in the park, since not many recording companies can accommodate full bands in their studios,” Anto says. The story is all too familiar: artists are mainly self-funded, which means they cannot afford to take chances. So when they go to the studio, it’s to record a hit. They aim at the most mainstream sound and the most immediate success. Anto laughs, “[Artists] want to churn out music that pleases the air for now, regardless of the possibility of longevity, because some want a quick return and some unfortunately fame.”

This quick hit, quick money, quick fame logic has spurred the growth of home studios, “mushrooming in people’s bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms,” as Anto puts it. Finding a producer who understands an artists’ vision, who can advise on arrangements and deliver on the engineering side has been a real challenge, but the situation is evolving: “Fortunately in Kenya now, music is coming full circle, and there are engineers and producers who are more inclined in quality of music, rather than releasing songs in massive numbers in the hopes of getting hits. And that has really challenged artists to come up with great music,” he says.

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X-Pensive Nframa – Aunty Adoley EP – Free!

X-Pensive Nframa – Aunty Adoley EP – Free!

This is our slowest release in the making!!! On Benjamin Lebrave’s very first trip to Ghana in the fall of 2007, he met with X-Pensive Nframa, an up and coming artist, who at the time had just released a phat single produced by then-hiplife maestro JQ. Aunty Adoley could very well become Nframa’s wife… we don’t speak Ga so well but that’s what we gather – does anyone reading care to shed more light? Anyway, since 2007, Nframa has… vanished. Nobody seems to remember him, not JQ, not anyone. Which puts us in a strange dilemma: is it right to release this EP? We have Nframa’s signed authorization, but… we can’t pay him. So we decided to give away the EP for free. If Nframa was in any way still active with his music, we would have found him. And if he resurfaces, we’ll ask him what he wants to do. Thanks to Maga Bo and Sabo for their patience, thanks to Douster for being so quick, thanks to Boima for always dropping some hot ish!

 

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Lyrics Video: Jeune Lio – My Love feat. Magasco

Lyrics Video: Jeune Lio – My Love feat. Magasco

Follow up to Abidjan-based Cameroonian DJ and creative director Jeune Lio, here's the lyrics video to his debut single My Love featuring Magasco. Video animation was done  by Ozaki & Tiemo.       RELATED  Follow up to Abidjan-based Cameroonian DJ and...

Music Video: Solid K – Music on the Road

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  Music on the Road was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns.  According to Solid K, " The video tries to capture how I feel about music, it depicts how hard it is to explain with words. It shows what a surreal feeling it brings to me.  As can be seen, I walk...

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This is our slowest release in the making!!! On Benjamin Lebrave’s very first trip to Ghana in the fall of 2007, he met with X-Pensive Nframa, an up and coming artist, who at the time had just released a phat single produced by then-hiplife maestro JQ. Aunty Adoley could very well become Nframa’s wife… we don’t speak Ga so well but that’s what we gather – does anyone reading care to shed more light? Anyway, since 2007, Nframa has… vanished. Nobody seems to remember him, not JQ, not anyone. Which puts us in a strange dilemma: is it right to release this EP? We have Nframa’s signed authorization, but… we can’t pay him. So we decided to give away the EP for free. If Nframa was in any way still active with his music, we would have found him. And if he resurfaces, we’ll ask him what he wants to do. Thanks to Maga Bo and Sabo for their patience, thanks to Douster for being so quick, thanks to Boima for always dropping some hot ish!

 

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From Eritrea to Ethiopia: Saba

From Eritrea to Ethiopia: Saba

Another great song via the Lungu Lungu column over at Fader mag. This time the spotloight shines on Eritrean-born, Addis resident Saba. Thanks to DJ Sirak for the link,here’s one of Saba’s first completed songs, the beautiful Lene Yalew:

From Fader:

A few years back I stumbled upon an ’80s Ethiopian synth-pop track by Tigist Mekonnen. At the time I was really into post punk and new wave. So this song really did it for me. The instrumentation was cheap but effective, Tigist’s voice was beautiful, and I thought there might be dozens and dozens of equally great Ethiopian synth-heavy songs. Sadly, I came to realize the appealing balance on this song between synths and Amharic vocals was more of a happy coincidence. The deeper I dug for similar songs, the bigger my frustration grew.

So when I flew to Addis Abeba last July, I was scared I’d end up drowning under layers and layers of not-as-dope synths. I was right. Most of the pop music I heard on the radio was a blend of R&B, tons of synths and sometimes a distinguishably Ethiopian pentatonic scale. Not all that exciting. I wasn’t sure where to look to next: purely traditional music? 1970′s Mulatu Astatke-type Ethio jazz? I love both types of music, but I’m not much of a folklore buff or a vintage digger. I left Addis feeling frustrated.

Luckily, my love affair with Ethiopian music was far from being over, and I started receiving songs from various missed connections. In particular, Ethiopian Brooklynite DJ Sirak has been feeding me amazing goodies, especially songs by Saba. I didn’t meet Saba while I was in Addis. It seems she is always at home writing songs, or in the studio working on her first album, which she hopes to finish by the end of the year. Although she’s young, she’s no rookie. She performed very regularly in Addis from 2006 until 2009, singing mostly covers, until she decided to focus on her own material. And when it comes to writing songs, she has a pretty insane background to fuel her creativity.

Saba grew up in Eritrea, the country with the worse press freedom index in the world, right below North Korea. It’s hard to imagine what life is like when a government kicks you out of your home, seizes all of your belongings and harasses you and your family. Yet this was a routine Saba had to get used to when she was still a child. She told me about one episode in particular, which she says changed her life forever. Her entire school had to attend a government meeting: “It was government officials encouraging Eritrean students to kill, beat and in any way they can harm Ethiopians,” she said. Shortly after, Saba’s parents sent their ten children to live in Addis, where for the first three years they had to make things happen without any reliable income. It was a big departure from the more comfortable first years they spent living in Asmara.

Even before the political turmoil, Saba found comfort in singing. She grew up watching Boyz II Men or Brandy videos on MTV, but also soaking in the classic Eritrean melodies her mom played all day long in her shop. Today Saba successfully bridges the gap between these Western pop vocalists and her deep roots in Tigrigna and Amharic folklore. When I asked Saba about the music scene in Addis, I could sense her frustration. On the business side, she told me, “there is no concept of artist management going around in this town.” About the nightlife she added, “Ethiopian crowds are hard to please, unless you sing cover songs.” But Saba’s looking beyond Addis and she realizes her music speaks to a much wider audience. “I can see myself going global with the work I am doing,” she says, “I often get comments such as, We can understand your music and your emotions, from foreigners in the audience.”

This song definitely spoke to me when I first heard it, it’s called “Lene Yalew,” or “What’s Meant for Me” in Amharic. It’s a love song, but also a spiritual song about accepting one’s destiny. Saba sings about finding the right person, waiting for the right time, and not worrying yourself to death until that person and that time comes. I’m not that spiritual, or patient: I can’t wait til her album drops!

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From Eritrea to Ethiopia: Saba

Another great song via the Lungu Lungu column over at Fader mag. This time the spotloight shines on Eritrean-born, Addis resident Saba. Thanks to DJ Sirak for the link,here’s one of Saba’s first completed songs, the beautiful Lene Yalew:

From Fader:

A few years back I stumbled upon an ’80s Ethiopian synth-pop track by Tigist Mekonnen. At the time I was really into post punk and new wave. So this song really did it for me. The instrumentation was cheap but effective, Tigist’s voice was beautiful, and I thought there might be dozens and dozens of equally great Ethiopian synth-heavy songs. Sadly, I came to realize the appealing balance on this song between synths and Amharic vocals was more of a happy coincidence. The deeper I dug for similar songs, the bigger my frustration grew.

So when I flew to Addis Abeba last July, I was scared I’d end up drowning under layers and layers of not-as-dope synths. I was right. Most of the pop music I heard on the radio was a blend of R&B, tons of synths and sometimes a distinguishably Ethiopian pentatonic scale. Not all that exciting. I wasn’t sure where to look to next: purely traditional music? 1970′s Mulatu Astatke-type Ethio jazz? I love both types of music, but I’m not much of a folklore buff or a vintage digger. I left Addis feeling frustrated.

Luckily, my love affair with Ethiopian music was far from being over, and I started receiving songs from various missed connections. In particular, Ethiopian Brooklynite DJ Sirak has been feeding me amazing goodies, especially songs by Saba. I didn’t meet Saba while I was in Addis. It seems she is always at home writing songs, or in the studio working on her first album, which she hopes to finish by the end of the year. Although she’s young, she’s no rookie. She performed very regularly in Addis from 2006 until 2009, singing mostly covers, until she decided to focus on her own material. And when it comes to writing songs, she has a pretty insane background to fuel her creativity.

Saba grew up in Eritrea, the country with the worse press freedom index in the world, right below North Korea. It’s hard to imagine what life is like when a government kicks you out of your home, seizes all of your belongings and harasses you and your family. Yet this was a routine Saba had to get used to when she was still a child. She told me about one episode in particular, which she says changed her life forever. Her entire school had to attend a government meeting: “It was government officials encouraging Eritrean students to kill, beat and in any way they can harm Ethiopians,” she said. Shortly after, Saba’s parents sent their ten children to live in Addis, where for the first three years they had to make things happen without any reliable income. It was a big departure from the more comfortable first years they spent living in Asmara.

Even before the political turmoil, Saba found comfort in singing. She grew up watching Boyz II Men or Brandy videos on MTV, but also soaking in the classic Eritrean melodies her mom played all day long in her shop. Today Saba successfully bridges the gap between these Western pop vocalists and her deep roots in Tigrigna and Amharic folklore. When I asked Saba about the music scene in Addis, I could sense her frustration. On the business side, she told me, “there is no concept of artist management going around in this town.” About the nightlife she added, “Ethiopian crowds are hard to please, unless you sing cover songs.” But Saba’s looking beyond Addis and she realizes her music speaks to a much wider audience. “I can see myself going global with the work I am doing,” she says, “I often get comments such as, We can understand your music and your emotions, from foreigners in the audience.”

This song definitely spoke to me when I first heard it, it’s called “Lene Yalew,” or “What’s Meant for Me” in Amharic. It’s a love song, but also a spiritual song about accepting one’s destiny. Saba sings about finding the right person, waiting for the right time, and not worrying yourself to death until that person and that time comes. I’m not that spiritual, or patient: I can’t wait til her album drops!

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FOKN Bois & Irie Maffia Remixes

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It’s been a busy year so far for Ghana’s most scandalous Afro-pop duo known as the FOKN Bois. Aside from almost causing a war between Nigeria and Ghana, touring Europe, USA and releasing the world’s first Pidgen Musical, they also managed to record an 8-track EP The FOKN Dunaquest in Budapest with ELO of Irie Maffia Production, Hungary’s leading musical force, and released it on yours truly. 

The story has just begun… After the success of the original EP, a 10-track remix album by the finest Hungarian and international Global Bass producers is here. Remixes from Hungary’s own Slap In The Bass, Nobody Moves, Superstereo, URH and Jumo Daddy (Irie Maffia), as well as Frikstailers, Hijo De La Cumbia, Dj Vadim, Flore and Big Dope P from the international scene. Moobahton, dubstep, cumbia, bassline to uk funky all in one solid album. 

Now for the best part…as the producer ELO celebrates his 30th birthday this weekend he has decided to make the album a FREE DOWNLOAD for one month! 

Grab your free copy of The FOKN Dunaquest in Budapest Remix Album! Feedback is much appreciated!

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Music Video: Solid K – Music on the Road

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  Music on the Road was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns.  According to Solid K, " The video tries to capture how I feel about music, it depicts how hard it is to explain with words. It shows what a surreal feeling it brings to me.  As can be seen, I walk...

FOKN Bois & Irie Maffia Remixes

It’s been a busy year so far for Ghana’s most scandalous Afro-pop duo known as the FOKN Bois. Aside from almost causing a war between Nigeria and Ghana, touring Europe, USA and releasing the world’s first Pidgen Musical, they also managed to record an 8-track EP The FOKN Dunaquest in Budapest with ELO of Irie Maffia Production, Hungary’s leading musical force, and released it on yours truly. 

The story has just begun… After the success of the original EP, a 10-track remix album by the finest Hungarian and international Global Bass producers is here. Remixes from Hungary’s own Slap In The Bass, Nobody Moves, Superstereo, URH and Jumo Daddy (Irie Maffia), as well as Frikstailers, Hijo De La Cumbia, Dj Vadim, Flore and Big Dope P from the international scene. Moobahton, dubstep, cumbia, bassline to uk funky all in one solid album. 

Now for the best part…as the producer ELO celebrates his 30th birthday this weekend he has decided to make the album a FREE DOWNLOAD for one month! 

Grab your free copy of The FOKN Dunaquest in Budapest Remix Album! Feedback is much appreciated!

https://soundcloud.com/foknbois/sets/fokn-dunaquest-in-budapest-remixes

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NEWSFLASH: SORRY!!! Apparently the owners of this video have revoked our right to embed it on this site… we’re not sure at all what the point of making videos non-embeddable is, do you? Hopefully the video returns swiftly! Meanwhil you can watch it here

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  Music on the Road was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns.  According to Solid K, " The video tries to capture how I feel about music, it depicts how hard it is to explain with words. It shows what a surreal feeling it brings to me.  As can be seen, I walk...

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NEWSFLASH: SORRY!!! Apparently the owners of this video have revoked our right to embed it on this site… we’re not sure at all what the point of making videos non-embeddable is, do you? Hopefully the video returns swiftly! Meanwhil you can watch it here

The FOKN Bois are back! Freestyling bucolic style, video courtesy of the fine folks over at dontwatchthat.tv. If you’re in Accra don’t miss Wanlov at High Vibes on November 17. Nope, not an ounce of information is online yet, so your best bet is probably to follow Wanlov on Twitter to get the update in time!

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