Akwaaba wo Africa - welcome to Africa in twi, the language of the Ashanti people of Ghana. With this first release, Akwaaba Music welcomes the world to its eclectic catalog of African music by locally established, yet globally unknown artists.
Akwaaba traveled to West Africa to meet with scores of artists who have existing releases, but who have never had the opportunity to take their music outside of their native land. They signed fair deals: Akwaaba splits its net revenue 50-50 with all licensees, and works directly with the artist whenever possible.
Acoustic Senegalese musicians, Malian Wassoulou pop stars, Ivorian coupé décalé entertainers, Ghanaian highlife and hiplife singers, reggae, hip hop and salsa artists... the wealth of music is staggering. Akwaaba wo Africa is the introduction to this wide spanning catalog of music you hear in Africa.
TRACKLIST:
01 – SIRA – RAHMANE DIALLO (SENEGAL)
Rahmane comes from Fouta in northern Senegal, where he's been singing since elementary school in the 80s. With a little push from fellow fulani music giant Baaba Maal and a grant from ex-president Abdou Diouf, Rahmane got to record songs of timeless beauty. His songs are also a calling to the Senegalese youth, urging them to respect each other and cherish their rich cultural heritage.
02 – BAKOYE – MAMOU SIDIBE (MALI)
Mamou is a djelimousso or griot from the Wassoulou region of south-east Mali. For about 30 years now the region has been a musical hotbed for experimentation, where Manding and Peul traditions are fused with western instruments. Mamou started singing to encourage workers in the fields, before heading to the big city, Bamako, where she sang as a back-up singer for Malian star Oumou Sangaré. Mamou eventually left Oumou to develop her own style. Today, in Mali, she's considered one of the most prominent song divas.
03 – BARO – AHMED FOFANA (MALI)
Ahmed grew up in the griot tradition of poetry and music. A talented multi-instrumentist, he has played the flute, balafon (African xylophone), kora and hand drums for numerous Malian greats, including Toumani Diabaté and Vieux Farka Touré. Today he is still touring with them but also focusing on his own projects, including Riff Mandingue which will come out on Akwaaba.
04 – NGATAMARE - ALASSANE SY (SENEGAL)
Alassane is a native of Tivaouane, near Thiès in Senegal. He's been adding his back-up vocals to numerous Senegalese artists, singing in both Wolof and Pular, and is now releasing his own album, an acoustic blend of Senegalese mbalax where he tackles his country's social problems.
05 – BOREY BABA SALAH (MALI)
Baba is a Malian Songhai musician from Gao in northern Mali. Songhai music is reminiscent of American blues, and Baba pushes the fusion in his style and arrangements. Baba epitomizes Akwaaba's concept: although he is one of the kings of music in Mali, he is virtually unknown outside of Africa.
06 – TEGUERE – ALOU SANGARE (MALI)
Alou is a native of Koutiala, east of Bamako near the Burkina Faso border. He is the son of Madou Guitare, an influential member of several 70s Malian orchestras. Alou has been recording music for 12 years, fusing traditional melodies with modernized arrangements, appealing to young Malians while carrying on his father's legacy.
07 – WALA YALALA – IBA DIABATE (MALI)
Iba is another talented Malian griot. The son of revered Malian great Abdoulaye Diabaté, Iba's voice was noticed at an early age in the village of Yorosso, east of Bamako near the border with Burkina Faso. Iba sings mostly in his native Bamabara, but also in French, English and Spanish, singing about respect, peace, love and social injustice.
08 – WAITING FOR THE NEWS – JAHMAN ESELEM (CAMEROON)
Jahman was born in Yaounde, Cameroun but now resides in Bamako, Mali, where he's released a beautiful album produced by Manjul, a familiar name for African reggae lovers. He started singing in the early 90s, inspired by Bob Marley and Sonny Okosuns of Nigeria. He sings the hardships of society, and praises African unity and peace.
09 – LIBERIA IS FREE – LIB QUEEN (LIBERIA)
LIB Queen is a phenomenon in her native Liberia. She's played for the UN, for Liberia's first female president, and a number of other shows in Liberia as well as in Ghana where she now lives. She sings to hiplife, dancehall and reggae beats, produced by some of Ghana's finest at Accra's Hush Hush Studios.
10 – AFRICA NATION – EDEN ROOTS LIBERATION (SIERRA LEONE)
Lloyd Tommy and Leroy Kousi met in Sierra Leone's capital 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 their first album, Genesis, in 2006 in Mali, and eventually in Sierra Leone in February 2008. Akwaaba will release the album worldwide early 2009.
11 – MAAME - KOFI SAMMY (GHANA)
Kofi is a Ghanaian highlife legend. He formed the Okukuseku International Band in Accra in 1969, released albums 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 will release a number of remastered tracks from his extensive body of work.
12 – ATCHEGBE – MICHEL PINHEIRO (BENIN)
Michel was born in southern Benin, where he started singing at a very early age. After playing the guitar for local bands, he got his first break when he met Mamadou Doumbia during a trip to Côte d'Ivoire. There he learned to play the trombone and started playing for many local musicians. Today he plays for Tiken Jah Fakoly, one of Africa's biggest stars, but Michel also released his own salsa album, "Agoh", which will be released worldwide on Akwaaba.
13 – ABELA – SHERIFA GUNU (GHANA)
Sherifa is a successful artist from the north of Ghana. It can be hard for a northern singer to be heard all the way south in Accra, but Sherifa has successfully bridged the gap, first as a dancer for some of Ghana's biggest acts, but also through her music. She has been releasing her own kind of hiplife, recreating northern rhythms and incorporating them into her own take on hiplife and Ghanaian pop.
14 – WONJU – ROSE DEDE TETTEH (GHANA)
Rose has been singing for many years, and has already released music on Stern. She is still mainly known in Ghana only, where she continues to write songs, release music and play. She sings to a variety of Ghanaian pop arrangements, such as on Wonju, where abundant drums pace the way: "We are dancing"
15 – ONE GALLON – BRADEZ (GHANA)
Real life brothers Kuntakinte and Stone form Bradez, an infectious hiplife duo from Accra, Ghana. Mentored by their older brother Okyeame Kwame who handles the upbeat hiplife production, Bradez spill out their hip hop and dancehall-style lyrics between beautiful melodic choruses. A teaser before our next release, Move it Chaleh!
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