1.Growing Up
I was influenced by gospel spiritual music from my mother and father, who were both musical – my mum was a singer and my dad sang and played accordion. My great-grandfather was a chief in my village; when I was five years old they saw potential in me for music and they taught me African drum calls to bring all the chief elders together to the chiefs’ palace back home in Ghana.
2.Inspirations
First was my parents, then there was a band in Ghana called K.K.’s No. 2 Band, and also Koo Nimo. My other influences were listening to Bob Marley and James Brown. Marley inspired me so much with how his music brought different races together – especially his song ‘One Love’. Then James Brown with the song ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud’.
3.Your Band
My band consists of musicians of multiple nationalities based here in Sydney and Newcastle. My band members inspire me a lot with their love for African rhythms and Afrobeat, and also singing in my native Ghanaian language, we play many different rhythms from 4/4 to 6/8, et cetera. It’s an honour to teach my band the African Afrobeat styling. I’ve been working with a couple of producers in Australia including Richard Tognetti, and also Lucky Dube’s bass player Tio Moliantoa – they are both currently producing my new album.
4.The Music You Make
My music is a mixture of traditional to modern Afrobeat and reggae rhythms. My latest album was recorded live, straight from the mixer to CD. The album is called Afro Dance Pop. People can expect from my live show to feel happy and inspired with spiritual messages of motivation, as in my new song titled ‘Black Is Beautiful, White Is Wonderful’.
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
The music scene is forever turning and changing, with new artists and also bringing back old styles into new versions. I think the main obstacles musos have to face these days in the Sydney music scene is definitely the lockout laws making gigs finish earlier and less venues having live bands like back in the day. A lot of sacrificing goes into being a full-time musician like touring and living out of a suitcase, but I guess I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Basement hosts theGala Concert of African & Aussie All-Stars, with Afro Moses, Gervais Koffi, Sibo Bangoura, Chris Gudu, Pape Mbaye and more, on Thursday December 8.
