Bola - "Abayetidu Ma"

Bola "Abayetidu Ma" by awesometapesfromafrica
From the get go here it's almost impossible not to get lost in heading nodding groove, depending on where & what your doing when you hear this maybe that groove has spread to other parts of your body. Bola and the track "Abayetidu Ma" take the listener by storm once the programmed drums & keyboard's low make their entrance.
Hailing from Ghana Bola takes on traditional forms of song-craft & instrumentation and fuses them with modern touches. His use of the Kologo at once being a sign of history and cultural meaning while the inclusion of the drum machine is made particularly striking when heard in contrast, itself being the most notable hallmark of contemporary songwriting. As the press release notes "Traditionally, Kologo performances occur at pito (local beer made from fermented millet or sorghum) bars, weddings, funerals, festivals or spontaneous jams on the street, which is where Bola honed his craft as a solo musician." So pretty much like most indie bands, minus the funerals & street jams (these indie bands probably have garages for all their spontaneous needs).
Unlike most indie bands though this track seems to stretch for something a bit more down to earth as "Bola has taken a dynamic instrument used by traditional healers and herbalists to sing to god in search of advice and taken it to futuristic heights." A spiritual element many incorporating West African compositional motifs into their can not necessarily relate to.
Bola's Volume 7 (originally released by the artist in 2009) is available via Awesome Tapes From Africa April 2nd.