Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band - Obiaa! review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month

The Guardian 100

(Strut Records)
The ‘golden voice of Africa’ reboots the Ghanaian form for a new, globalised fanbase

Ghanaian highlife music has never been a single statement of artistic intent. Birthed from the indigenous rhythms of Akan music and incorporating western instrumentation such as electric guitars and horns before being played in the 1920s at exclusive gatherings of the upper colonial class – hence the music’s name – to now fusing American rap motifs in the sub-genre hiplife, Ghana’s most popular musical export is ever-changing. Yet, one of its greatest living exponents, vocalist Pat Thomas, has also been one of its most consistent representatives.