Hypnotic and bouncing melodies from the king of kologo
Born in north-eastern Ghana, King Ayisoba started learning the two-string lute, the kologo, as a small child from his traditional healer grandfather. As a young man, he moved to Accra where he scored a massive hit with his song, I Want To See You, My Father, a raw kologo-driven filial complaint that cut through the standard popular fare of hiplife, highlife and hip-hop. Fame brought him to the attention of Arnold de Boer, frontman of Dutch group The Ex, who has subsequently produced three albums with Ayisoba, keeping to the fore the powerful traditional sounds of kologo, guluku drum and dorgo horn, even when adding other instruments and beats. The latest album, 1000 Must Die on Glitterbeat, features guest luminaries such as Orlando Julius and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. Powerful social commentary, timeless wisdom: traditional music of the future.
“King Ayisoba and his band know that traditional instruments are stronger than anything modern. Playing them is a gift from God. They’ll take what they can use from electronica, from hiplife (the hugely popular Ghanaian style that fuses the local highlife music with hip-hop) but they won’t let it beat them, because they know what they have is more powerful. Their music is pulled from the ground.”
They are 5 musicians from Ghana touring. No backline needed as they travel with their own traditional instruments: kologo, gulugu and talking drum, bembe drum, traditional horn, siniaka
Live in Amsterdam for African Needs Africa
OFF Festival in Poland 2017
Paris 2016
Press:
New Songs, Playlists, & Latest News, BBC Music 2017
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