Album Notes

Godonu kple Egbeviwo’s changing style of HighLife is bringing highlife music to a new dimension fused into Jazz and the Ewe traditional soogoo drumming. Godonu was born in Aflao in the Volta Region of Ghana, West Africa. He spent part of his childhood in Lome, Togo. He had his debut CD "EMEFA" meaning ALL IS CALM out in 1999.

Godonu Kofi Srigboh (aka Vovomelio) has become a “singing bird”, composing deep rooted Ewe lyrical music. Born into a family of mostly boys, Godonu and his brothers learn how to play the family’s " Blekete" drums, made by their father. Godonu’s whole life has been immersed in music; he loves music, listens to music at all times and sleeps with music. His passion for music enabled him to become a composer/performer. He composes in his Mother tongue, EWE, a language spoken in south-eastern Ghana, Southern Togo and Benin in West Africa. He translates some of his lyrics into English, French, Spanish, Ga and Twi (languages). A typical example of this is track number four “Me lor Wò” (I love you) translated from Ewe into all these languages. An Upbeat Agbadza, “Lorlor Kple ŋutifafa” (Where there is love, there is Peace), a Heart touching song on “AIDS” and “Agbesinyale” (In life anything is possible).

The title track “Can We All Just Get Along!” carries a strong message and anyone who listens to it would ask, “What prompted the composer to write such a lyric”? Well “Mawu Koe Nya – Only God Knows” (which is the first track on this CD). The CD tracks feature themes of Love, Peace, Unity, Friendship, Social Issues and almost every song makes reference to the Supreme Being. The CD has Ewe traditional drumming flavour (Agbadza, Borborbor, Gahu and Kinka) fused with Jazz. The songs have live instrumental backgrounds and slow and easy dance tempi. The recording was made in the AKXL Records and Studios in Vancouver, BC, by Richard Amouzou Hefoumey, a former ace guitarist of ERICO JAZZ and MELO TOGO bands popular in Lome, Togo (during which year?). (Every arrangement, mixing and mastering of the songs was done Richard Amouzou).

Godonu works in the IT field; he is also an entertainment co-ordinator of the Southern Volta Association of Canada and a member of the NUTIFAFA AFRIKAN PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE, whose founding members are Professor Modesto Mawulolo Amegago of York University, Salomon Agbenya, Isaac Akrong and himself. Godonu and his recording engineer Richard Amouzou are collaborating with up-coming musicians in the Eweland, such as, Frank “Prophet” Narro whose NYE NUTOR PAA cd rocks the dance/party halls in Ghana, Togo, Benin and the diaspora; Richard “Apoloh” Mandy, whose cd “Ga Ye Nyo Na Ame” airplay is also doing well back home. Maurice Yamany, Freedom Zacary, Frederic Kodzo Akpadje, Edem Kodjo (aka Kebe) Bedzra and Afi Tsogbe.

Adding this to your CD collections would show your versatility in music.
Website: www.egbeviwo.com, Contact: info@egbeviwo.com