Ambulley and Takashi headline High Vibes fest

World Tracks previews the High Vibes festival in Accra, Ghana, chatting with artist Gyedu Blay Ambulley and members of the Takashi band. On 10 November, Accra hosts the second High Vibes event, and it seems most of last year's teething problems have been solved (click here for the RFI coverage of the inaugural festival).

Daniel Brown

Ghanaians can look forward to nine days of free concerts and exchanges with the likes of Kwame Yeboah, rapper Sarkodie and the evergreen Tony Allen.

Last November, the 24 concerts brought an enthusiastic response from Accra dwellers of all ages. World Tracks caught up with a couple veterans of the music scene who felt the initiative was a long time in coming.

Quiz of the week

Ambulley recently brought out a song with the rapper Replay. Can you give us the name of the song?

The answer is in the programme. So listen and send your answers to [e-mail]. Prizes and albums are sent for the first correct answers.
 

“Music like Afro-beat and hip life have their roots in highlife,” says Gyedu Blay Ambolley, a singer who has combined rap and jazz in Ghana and the US for the past four decades.

“We’re delighted the authorities are finally giving Ghanaians a festival to honour some of our richest musical heritage.”

Ambulley himself has pioneered an innovative mix of traditional roots and jazz elements, which continues to seduce Ghanaians of all generations.

Another highlight of the 2009 festival was the 10-piece band Takashi. It is lead by Kojo Essah, who composes most of the lyrics for the Takashi band.

The group mainly uses indigenous instruments from Africa, including the kpanlogo drums, shakers and the gome.

“Takashi means step on it in Hausa,” says Essah. “We were calling on our fans to join us in accelerating a revival of highlife music.

"For that, we’ve taken the classics and just spiced them up, added salt, ginger.” He pauses, then laughs with his baritone voice vibrating the glass of water in front of him.

“But we’re a bit slow with the album releases,” he admits, promising his fans that Takashi will release a second CD by the end of 2010.

A promise World Tracks would love the band to live up to.

Albums picked by Daniel Brown for World Tracks on Radio France Internationale

Here is Daniel Brown's choice of albums played on World Tracks this month:

1) Asmara’s got soul, Asmara All Stars (Outhere), Eritrea/France. http://www.myspace.com/asmaraallstars
2) My Roots, Suzanna Owiyo (KKV), Kenya. http://mimeta.squarespace.com/mimeta-news/2010/9/8/cd-launch-my-roots-by-suzanna-owiyo.html
3) Dem Naa, Naby (Iris Music), Senegal. http://www.myspace.com/demrek
4) Cool Beats for Hot Dancers, various artists (WMD), various. http://www2.polskieradio.pl/blogi/ossowski/recenzje/artykul191414_cool_beats_for_hot_dancers___skladanka___wmd_pazdziernik_2010.html
5) Patita Salada, Edith Tamayo (Snail Records), .Mexico. http://www.myspace.com/edithtamayo.
6) Afrocubism, various artists (World Circuit), Cuba/Mali. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-various-artists-afrocubism-world-circuit-2102998.html
 7) A la Panxa del Bou, La Troba Kung-fu (Chesapik), Spain/Catalunia. http://www.latrobakungfu.net/mosaic.html
8) i Vinens Speil, Mahsa Vahdat & SKRUK (KKV), Iran/Norway. http://www.mahsavahdat.com/internal.php?sn=news&&lang=en
9) Shukta My Hometown, Shukta (Fosim), Macedonia/Roma. http://www.soros.org.mk/default.asp?lang=eng&menuid=98
10) Aou Amwin, Danyel Waro (Cobalt), Reunion Island. http://www.keskispass.re/post/2010/07/19/Aou-Amwin,-le-nouvel-album-de-Dany%C3%A8l-Waro