- country:Ghana
- region:West Africa
- style(s):Afro, Highlife
- label:afro urban project GmbH
- type:Band
- artist contact:afro urban project GmbH
Line up
- Daniel Adarkwa (Sax)
- Dominic Ansah (Percussion)
- Emmanuel Ackon (Bass Guitar)
- Emmanuel Adjei (Trumpet)
- Eric Aseidu Agyekum (Lead Guitar)
- John Haakem (Vocals)
- Michael Awuni (Keyboard)
- Rim Akandoh Jnr (Drums)
Links
AMAMERE is a new soulful and energetic music project that fuses traditional guitar highlife music from Ghana with an Afro funky vintage style. The music takes its source in the deep highlife tradition of Ghana particularly the guitar band style of the 1960s and 70s. AMAMERE was formed in 2022 in Cape Coast in Ghana and is led by the drummer and composer Rim Akandoh Jnr. The first album (MAN SHALL BE FREE) consists of remixed songs from his father’s band (Prince Sparrows Band), songs from the Osoode medley tradition of Western Ghana and Rim Akandoh Jnr.’s own new compositions.
Besides the rhythmic musical tradition of highlife, the songs draw on a lyrical heritage of proverbial wisdom, and touches on the struggles of everyday life, love and political themes. The ambition of the AMAMERE is to take the best from their musical heritage, and to share it with the rest of the world in an updated energetic and danceable highlife fusion style. It is a way to share the richness of the past with our contemporary world in a way that brings us all together.
AMAMERE led by Rim Akandoh Jnr. wishes to bring new life to the tradition of highlife music that has since the 1990s been influenced by afro-beats and hip life.
He lifts the musical heritage of his renowned dad Rim Akandoh who performed with his Prince Sparrows band, Kakaiku’s Band and KK’s No. 2 in Ghana and Nigeria in the 1970s and 1980s as well as other famous highlife artist of that generation including the still active Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, CK Mann, ET Mensah and the Uhuru Dance Band. Rim Akandoh Jnr. himself is a highly acclaimed drummer of several of Ghana's highlife legends such as the Western Diamond Band, Ebo Taylor, Papa Yankson, Jewel Ackah, AB Crentsil, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Pat Thomas and Amakye Dede.
