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"The Drop with Danno" on GFN 광주영어방송 98.7FM in Gwangju & 93.7FM in Yeosu, Korea. An eclectic radio curation of all things musical spanning the spectrum every week. Broadcasting 8-10pm KST nightly.
Round Trip to Ghana 09/06/2023 with Dunia Al-jawad
I
Ebo Taylor – Love & Death
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – Teacher
Ahjaji K Frimpong – Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu
Marijata – No Condition Is Permanent
II
E.T. Mensah – Day By Day
E.T. Mensah – Abele
Osibisa – Welcome Home
Bokoor Band – Onukpa Shawarpo
K Frimpong & His Cuban Fiestas – Hwehwe My Na Yi Wo Mpena
Asem - Bye Bye (feat. ft Kwabena Kwabena)
III
Beyonce feat Shatta Wale & Major Lazer – ALREADY
Black Sherif – Kwaku the Traveller*
KOJO ANTWI - Nfa Me Nko Ho
Stonebwoy – Greedy Men
Sarkodie – Coachella ft. Kwesi Arthur*
Fameye – Mercy
KiDi - Touch It*
IV
Akwaboah – Friends Today
Lasmid - Atele
Obrafour – Oye Ohene (remix)
Fuse ODG & Itz Tiffany – Azonto
Ebo Taylor – Yen Ara
BIBI – BAD SAD AND MAD
페노메코 (PENOMECO) - 'BOLO (Feat. YDG)
I
Ebo Taylor – Love & Death
- Who else could we possibly start with on this trip? As a matter of fact, I’m starting and ending with the master of highlife himself tonight, Ebo Taylor.
- At 87, still kicking and performing, making music, just a total legend. His fingerprints are all over the highlife and afrobeat sounds, being a huge inspiration for Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, and much more that came later which we’ll get into more tonight as far as the sounds.
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – Teacher
- Ambolley's musical journey began at a young age, learning to play the flute and later the guitar. He drew inspiration from American artists like James Brown, Ray Charles, and Sam Cook, as well as jazz legends featured on the "Voice of America Jazz Hour."
- Ambolley's name has become synonymous with Simigwa (his own style) music and dance sine his first hit single was released in 1973.
Alhaji K Frimpong - Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu
- In the 1970s, Alhaji K. Frimpong recorded with two different bands, Vis-A-Vis and the Cubano Fiestas, featuring overlapping musicians.
- He gained recognition for his hit song "Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu," notably recorded with the Cubano Fiestas, and went on to release additional albums with them, along with his collaboration with Vis-A-Vis during that period.
Marijata – No Condition Is Permanent
- Marijata was a group made up of three members – Kofi 'Electric' Addison on drums, Bob Fischlan on organ and Nat Osmanu on guitar, hailing from Ghana.
- The album this was released on is called This Is Marijata, originally released in 1976, and it found new fans with a reissue on Mr Bongo, which is a great label of rare funk & soul discovery for international audiences.
- Not only is this song extra tight & energetic, but the screams are absolutely manic. I’ve never heard anything like it.
II
E.T. Mensah - Day By Day
- E.T. Mensah, the renowned King of Highlife, served as the inspiration for RetroAfric's mission to reintroduce classic tracks by African music masters. E.T. Mensah's illustrious career in African popular music spanned from the early 1930s to the late 1980s.
- He was a multi-talented musician who played various instruments and played a significant role in shaping highlife music, incorporating influences from Black American, West Indian, and Afro-Cuban music into the genre.
E.T. Mensah – Abele
Osibisa - Welcome Home
- Osibisa, a Ghanaian-British Afro-rock band, was founded in London in 1969 by expatriate African and Caribbean musicians. They were pioneers in popularizing African music globally, often credited with laying the foundation for World Music.
- Teddy Osei, Sol Amarfio, Mamon Shareef, and Farhan Freere, who played in Ghanaian highlife bands, came together to form Osibisa. Their unique blend of highlife, rock, and soul music made them influential in the African music scene, and their name, Osibisa, signifies "criss cross rhythms that explode with happiness."
Bokoor Band – Onukpa Shawarpo
- Another example of the old school sounds of Ghana reaching new audiences nowadays, with Strut Records having reissued this on a 2010 compilation called Afro Rock Vol 1.
- Initially this tune was released in 1974, and the band were formed in 1971 when British expat John Collins got together with some local members to form the band.
K Frimpong & His Cuban Fiestas – Hwehwe My Na Yi Wo Mpena
- Now, we discussed Alhaji K Frimpong in part 1, but I wanted to get a taste of some of the fantastic work he did with His Cuban Fiestas, his 2nd band.
- This tune came out originally in 1977, but was also featured later in the 2012 film Marcher l’eau, a documentary about a 12 year old girl and her village in Niger struggling to build a well and thrive.
Asem - Bye Bye (feat. ft Kwabena Kwabena)
- ASEM, true name Nana Wiafe Asante Mensah, is a rising star in Ghana's Hiplife music scene, known for his rapid ascent to popularity.
- His controversial track "Give Me Blow" garnered significant attention among Ghanaian youths, showcasing his appeal to both urban and rural audiences. ASEM is recognized for his contribution to the evolution of Hiplife into GH Rap, blending elements of American hip-hop with traditional Hiplife.
III
Beyonce feat Shatta Wale & Major Lazer – ALREADY
- Does it get bigger than featuring on a Beyonce album, a film soundtrack no less? I don’t think so.
- This is from 2019’s The Lion King: The Gift, and of course Shatta Wale is our focus here, who mainly works in dancehall sounds, and is a multi-award-winning artist out of Ghana.
Black Sherif – Kwaku the Traveller*
- Mohammed Ismail Sharrif (born 9 January 2002), professionally known as Black Sherif, is a Ghanaian singer and rapper. He initially gained popularity in 2021 with his song "First Sermon," which he released in May. This was followed up with the "Second Sermon" in July.
- His breakthrough came in March 2022 with his hit single "Kwaku the Traveller," which reached number 1 on the Ghanaian and Nigerian Apple Music charts. He then released his debut album, The Villain I Never Was, on October 5, 2022.
KOJO ANTWI - Nfa Me Nko Ho
- Kojo Antwi, also known as Kwadjo Antwi, began his music career after leaving school, initially playing with Boomtalents and later becoming the frontman of Classique Handels, which eventually became Classique Vibes.
- The band gained rapid popularity in Ghana and neighboring West African countries, leading to performances in Europe. After the band's disintegration, Kojo Antwi went solo and achieved chart-topping success in Ghana. He is considered the number one music star in Ghana since 1989, with numerous awards, chart-topping hits, and extensive tours across Africa and Europe. Kojo Antwi blends reggae and African influences, performing in both English and vernacular, and is known for his dynamic live shows with lady dancers, background singers, and top musicians.
Stonebwoy – Greedy Men
- Stonebwoy began his music career while in Senior High School, releasing his first radio track "Makuma" and gaining underground popularity. He later joined S24 studios and met Samini in 2008. He has shared stages with various major artists and released his debut album, "Grade #1," in 2012.
- Stonebwoy is known as the "Prince of African Dancehall" and continues to expand his international presence in the music industry.
Sarkodie – Coachella ft. Kwesi Arthur*
- Michael Owusu Addo (born July 10, 1985) known professionally as Sarkodie is a Ghanaian rapper and entrepreneur from Tema.
- He was announced the first winner of BET's Best International Flow artist at the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards. He is also considered one of the major proponents of the Azonto genre and dance and one of the most successful African rappers of all time.
Fameye – Mercy
- This tune was released in the wake of the artist’s critically acclaimed 2021 album Greater Than, and t/n Peter Fameye Bozah was born in Accra but hails originally from a town called Bogoso out in Western Ghana.
- Fameye is known for his emotional and introspective lyrics, which often deal with issues concerning love, poverty and self-reflection. He has won several awards, including the Best New Artiste Award at the 2020 Ghana Music Awards USA.
KiDi - Touch It*
- Kidi is a highly acclaimed Ghanaian singer and songwriter known for his distinctive blend of Afrobeat and highlife music, captivating audiences with his soulful voice and catchy melodies.
- With a rising career in the Ghanaian music scene, Kidi has made a significant impact with hits like "Adiepena" and "Say Cheese," establishing himself as a versatile artist who continues to push boundaries in contemporary African music.
IV
Akwaboah – Friends Today
- This is a Ghanaian singer-songwriter and producer from Mampong Beposo. He is the son of highlife musician Kwadwo Akwaboah. We must also point out his true first name is Gladstorm, which is kind of amazing.
- This appeared on his hit EP from this year called Lighthouse.
Lasmid – Atele
- This is an artist who made a name for himself after he was crowned winner of the MTN Hitmaker Season 8.
- He is best known for the viral song Friday Night which gained attention in Ghana topping charts after it became a trend on TikTok, but obviously there’s some other quality in the discog here, this being one example.
Obrafour – Oye Ohene (remix)
- Obrafour means Executioner in Akan. Michael Kwabena Okyere Darko refers to himself as Ghana's rap sofour which means Ghana's rap preacher and owns the Execution records label.
- He was one of the first hiplife artistes to release a compilation album of other musicians (Execution Diary) and has had hits like Who born you by mistake, Adefoode, Oye Ohene, etc.
Fuse ODG & Itz Tiffany – Azonto
- Fuse ODG, born Nana Richard Abiona in London in 1988, is a British musician of Ghanaian descent known for popularizing the song "Azonto," which is based on the Afrobeats dance craze of the same name.
- He made history as the first UK artist/producer to receive nominations in two different categories at the Ghana Music Awards. Fuse ODG is recognized for his contributions to various music genres, including Afro-pop, hip-hop, R&B, funk, and rock. He is associated with the 'Off Da Ground' family, which is reflected in his surname ODG, and has gained fame for his energetic performances and creative and original conceptual songs such as "Umbilical Chord," "Bucket Full Of Sunshine," and "RWANDA."
Ebo Taylor – Yen Ara
BIBI – BAD SAD AND MAD
- Now, this is a tune that has such afrobeats flavor to it, I had to begin the end with it tonight.
- T/n Kim Hyung-seo is obviously a huge quantity here, having appeared on The Fan in 2018 and becoming the runner-up of the show.
- This was released on the 2021 album Life is a Bi...brilliant stuff.
페노메코 (PENOMECO) - 'BOLO (Feat. YDG)
- 페노메코 (PENOMECO) is a prominent South Korean rapper renowned for his versatility and creative approach to hip-hop music
- With a distinctive sound and thought-provoking lyrics, PENOMECO has emerged as a prominent figure in the Korean music scene, collaborating with various artists and contributing to the evolution of contemporary Korean hip-hop and R&B.