Alewa by Santrofi

Even without an album out: they have already set the world on fire freaking out audiences all over Europe on their 2019 summer festival tour including Sines in Portugal, WOMAD in UK, Roskilde and WOMEX in Tampere. This young allstar band from Ghana brims with gifted musicians and energy on stage. The 8 piece collective is made up of a young generation of awarded musicians who have backed anyone in Ghana from Azonto sensation Sarkodie to Nigerian superstar 2 Face Idibia, but their passion isn’t local pop but Highlife. And their mission is to bring it back; not only to the world but also to Ghana, where the young generation has forgotten all about this great music.

Santrofi’s debut album Alewa now brings you a new wave of fresh highlife rooted in the past with a knowledge of the future directly from the streets of Accra. Santrofi was founded by bassist and producer Emmanuel Ofori who rose from the source having played with Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas and Kwashibu Area Band and has now formed his own band collective: Santrofi. The 8 musicians are deeply rooted in vintage Ghanaian highlife music in all its forms. The influences range from the riveting fast-paced pulse of 70s dance-guitar highlife, or the other-worldly sound of Highlife funk to the polyrhythmic beats and melodies that took Afrobeat across the globe. The members have toured the world with legends like Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Osibisa, George Darko and many, many others. They have learnt from the masters and are now ready to take highlife into the future.

Alewa is a metaphor for a popularly known local black and white striped sweet. It symbolizes the need to recognize, accept, tolerate and embrace racial diversity to build a world with love and unity. On stage: Santrofi breaks down hierarchies the musicians alternate their roles each growing on the other’s talent while harmonizing as a whole. Together they can tear every stage apart. The album was composed arranged, produced and recorded in Ghana in a joint effort by Santrofi. This is only the beginning. Expect more to come!

Santrofi in Akan mythology is a rare and precious bird, identified by its bright colours and four wings. It is so unique, it was forbidden to be hunted. Attempting to catch and lock up the bird will bring you bad luck. If spotted and left to fly away, great luck and fortune can be expected.

So let the bird fly!


Santrofi was the unexpected highlight of the WOMAD 2019 festival. The young Ghanian band stormed the stage with an energy that was electric and left us wanting more.“
Paula Henderson (Womad)

„Loved these guys so much, I need to go to Ghana to work with them.“ Ziggy Marley

“Back in the days in the 60ies and 70ies we had so many bands in Ghana, if you go to a pub to have drink or something there isn’t a DJ, no there is a band playing and they are playing their own music. Ghana is one of the richest places when it comes to music. Hugh Masekela (may he rip), Fela, Orlando Julius or Richard Bona they all came to Ghana to learn soo much. But we lost it all, so we want to bring it back. And where ever we play we are starting to see our friends rethinking their attitude towards highlife and trying to bring out their inner highlife voice. But we also love to throw in some of the trending dances like Shaku shaku or Gwara gwara to keep the music fresh.”
Emmanuel Ofori (Santrofi)

This young allstar band from Ghana brims with gifted musicians and energy on stage. The 8 piece collective is made up of a young generation of awarded musicians who have backed anyone in Ghana from Azonto sensation Sarkodie to Nigerian superstar 2 Face Idibia, but their passion isn’t local pop but Highlife.