Ayena / Kponyole by UMOJA

Hard-hitting afro-dancehall from Accra to Haarlem via London.

A unique collaboration between Ghanaian MC+ singer K.O.G (Kweku of Ghana) and Dutch producers Umoja.
Born in Accra (Ghana) but currently resident in the Northern British ex-industrial city of Sheffield, K.O.G has exploded onto the European scene, slaying shows across Europe with afro-futurist outfit Onipa, afro-funk monster group K.O.G and the Zongo Brigade and as a guest with The Busy Twist, Afriquoi, Nubiyan Twist and Congo Natty.

This is the second in the series of one off collaborations with producers from around the world, following up on ‘Change’ with iZem (Lisbon) on Guts’ Pura Vida label, with forthcoming collaborations with The Busy Twist, Jus Now and more in the pipeline. With great responses to the latest Onipa EP on Wormfood/Mawimbi (September 2018), and many released in the pipeline for 2019 the K.O.G and the Zongo Brigade (Heavenly Sweetness) and guest features on Nubiyan Twist’s album (Strut), 2019 is definitely going to be his year.

Originating from Haarlem in the Netherlands, Dutch duo Umoja have over a decade of experience dishing out warm dusty grooves, unified by an intrinsic appreciation and understanding of world rhythm, the mechanisms of groove and contemporary electronic beats. Any attempt to pin down their sound is only a pipe dream: In the spirit of ‘Umoja’ a Swahili word meaning ‘Unity’, their approach to music is to unify grooves across the seven oceans, one record at a time.

“Kponyole” is a dark, brooding, digi-dancehall banger, with deep subs, hypnotic, rolling bass and sharp percussive undertones. Meaning ‘Be Careful’ in the Ewe language of the Volta region of Eastern Ghana, it warns of the dangers everyone must be careful of, from betrayal by close ones to spiritual pollution. Watch your back. Watch your brother. Watch out for bad spirits. Watch wear you tread.
Watch your speakers too, that low end will do them some damage if you are not careful!

“Ayena” is much lighter, a traditional, hi-life style homage to the beauty of the female sex: shake for me, dance for me – with warm, bouncy, almost cartoon-like beats that will make any dancefloor bubble.

Artwork by @beckybaier

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