Songs
- 1 Kokonsani
- 2 Man Shall Be Free
- 3 Amane Hunu
- 4 Abenim
- 5 Christina
- 6 Mr. Politician
- 7 Uwe Wo Ho Sie
- 8 Odo Kai
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- artist:Amamere
- featured artist:Pat Thomas
- region:West Africa
- release year:2025
- style(s):Highlife
- country:Ghana
- formats:Audio File / Digital, CD (Compact Disc), LP / Vinyl
- record posted by:afro urban project GmbH
- label:afro urban project GmbH
- buy this record
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Amamere, an exciting new music project from Cape Coast, Ghana, brings a breath of fresh air to the highlife tradition, blending the distinctive guitar highlife of the 1970s with an Afro-funky vintage style. Formed in 2022 by drummer and composer Rim Akandoh Jnr., the band draws inspiration from Ghana's rich musical history while adding a modern, energetic twist. The debut album "Man Shall Be Free" combines newly mixed classics from the repertoire of Rim Akandoh Jnr’s father – the ‘Mighty’ Rim Akandoh and his Prince Sparrows Band – including pieces from the Osoode medley tradition of Western Ghana as well as their own new compositions. The songs not only pick up on the pulsating rhythm of highlife but also transport the lyrical depth of proverbial wisdom.
Thematically, the album moves between everyday experiences, love and socio-political reflections and presents a rousing sound that combines tradition and modernity. Particularly noteworthy is the title song ‘Man Shall Be Free, in which the band condenses the roots of traditional highlife into a danceable groove with driving horns and complex percussion structures. The song ‘Abenim’ is a traditional medley in the Osoode folk song tradition, a 25 minute piece in the original version from the album The Sounds of Rim Akandoh and his Prince Sparrows Band: Fame Ko Baabi A Odo Wo (Seesaw Take Me To Where My Love Is) from 1972 with Ambassadors Records, Kumasi, Ghana. Another classic is ‘Hwe Wo Ho Yie’ (Be Careful of Man) that talks about personal relationship and why you should be careful of revealing your secrets to other people. These themes and everyday wisdoms are typical of the guitar band style of the 1970s that reflected the concerns and experiences of the ordinary man.
The eight-piece band consists of experienced musicians, including John Hakeem on lead vocals, Eric Aseidu Agyekum on guitar, Emmanuel Ackon on bass guitar, Michael Awuni on keyboard, Dominic Ansah on percussion, Emmanuel Adjei on trumpet and flugal horn and Daniel Yiadom Adarkwa on saxophone.
Guest musicians featured on the album are some of the greatest figures of highlife music, including the golden voice of Africa Pat Thomas, Akablay and Kweku Mensah from the Kwashibu Area Band.
With Amamere, Rim Akandoh Jnr. continues the musical legacy of Ghana and of his famous father, who performed with legends such as CK Mann and His Carousel, KK’s no. 2, Dr. K. Gyasie, and his own Prince Sparrows Band in the 1970s and 80s. Rim Akandoh was from Tarkwa-Awudua in the Western region of Ghana, a region that is well-known for its highlife legends, but was also inspired by funk legends such as James Brown.
Rim Akandoh Jnr. has already made a name for himself as a virtuoso drummer, working with Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas and Amakye Dede, among others. With "Man Shall Be Free", Rim Akandoh Jnr. proves once again that the highlife tradition can not only be preserved, but carried into the future with new, pulsating elements. Or, as highlife legend Ebo Taylor puts it: "Rim Akandoh Jnr. brings the highlife of our time into the future."