Friday, 10 October 2014
Thursday, 9 October 2014
Paapa Nyarkoh, The Man Behind The "Benya" Album
A Grammy Award is an award given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognise outstanding achievement in the music industry worldwide. An artiste does not have to win the Grammies. Simply being nominated is enough. For, nomination is a firm public declaration by the industry, that you have done something exceptional that year and deserve a pat on the back.
Back home in Ghana, however, the event went completely unnoticed. And yet, this is Ghana we are talking about. The Black Star of Africa. The land that produced Kofi Ghanaba, a guy who shocked America with a million-selling percussion album, "Africa Speaks, America Responds". This is Ghana, the land that produced Osibisa, the first African band ever to break international boundaries and reach out to the world. And yet, none of these guys ever had the honour of walking those red carpets of the Grammies. And so when I spoke to Paapa Nyarkoh, I wondered whether he was hurt that his achievement went largely unnoticed in his homeland.
"No" he quickly responded "I can imagine myself growing up in Ghana and being asked who the Grammy nominees were. I would have had no clue. We simply do not follow the Grammies in Ghana, but maybe it's time for that to change as more of us make inroads into World Music"
Indeed! Well said Paapa. And change, it will, someday.
Inspired by the sounds of distant drums across the Benya in the early hours of the morning during the annual Edina Bakatue festivals, inspired by the Asafo Warriors singing and dancing in the street right in front of his home amidst the ferocious sounds of gunshots, inspired by the numerous gods of Elmina and our illustrious ancestors long gone, inspired by the stripes on the back of his ancestral slaves, whose spirits and agonising yells stilll hover and echo over the hills of Elmina, he taught himself to play the drum, and the rest, as they say, is history.
"When I'm playing, my influences fall on me like rain" he said
I promise you, that in this album, everything fell on him. He was influenced by the sound of the drums across the Benya, the sounds of the fishermen as they landed ashore, the sound of the kelewele seller across the road, the sounds of the market women as they struggled to clear their wares, the sounds of the Asafo drummers along the street, the sounds of the fetish chants to the gods of Elmina and the sounds of hope for a better life ahead. And Paapa talks about his instrument and album with a passion that could only be admired.
"You see, the drum is the first instrument of sound and creation. It's powerful rhythms leave you breathless and hypnotised. It moves you to shake your body and you never get tired of listening because it's full of life"
"It requires a lot of timing, especially from the dowuro. The energetic rhythms these drums create can be extremely complex, but when they all come together, they sound so pleasing and rhythmic."
And listening to the album, one is immediately struck by the energy, rhythm, and hypnotic vibes. Just listen to the talking drums on "Akwaaba", the dance rhythms on "Benya" and the war victory celebration chants on "Yereko".
"Menayei (track 8) and Aketekete (track 9) are special tracks only played by my people during Edina bronya. Aketekete is warrior music and Menayei is played from door to door to wish our ancestors and the people of Edina a Happy New Year. It's back to our roots!
"So how come you are so humble despite all your achievements?" I cheekily enquired.
He smiled modestly.
"I see my talent as a gift from God. My humility is my way of honouring Him."
Need I say more?
Get your copies on http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/PaapaNyarkoh
Papa Appiah
www.Ghanansemsem.blogspot.com
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
AFRICOBlUES - Papa Appiah's "Suicide Note" -the album name changes again
At the time, one of the new songs drafted unto the list "window love" seemed the perfect title song. Not only was the song catchy, I felt the title was also quite marketable. I continued to believe so till ia asked the designer of my album cover to change Songloba to Window Love.
Steve Lane, bless him, emailed asking for some enlightenment on the name "window love"
"Are you in love with windows or what?"
I was baffled. If that was the confusion the name was going to create, then it did not deserve to be a title of an album. An album title must not only be catchy, it's message must be clear to everybody. So I went back to the drawing table. There was an old track I'd records years back which I really had not released because I had not been satisfied with the final outcome.
With the help of my engineer Adam Ellis, we managed to load up this track again, and after the bass line had been changed, more backing vocals added and Terry Townson had given it the once over with his exquisite horn arrangement, it sounded like the best track on the album. So I changed the album name to "Old Tradition"
It remained "Old Tradition" till yet another track that was not going to make the album was resurrected and given the kiss of life. The track was called "Thank You". The track was cut from an over five minute song to three minute fifty five second song. The backing vocal was changed to reflect the mood of the song and the style of the lead singer. Once again, a once over by Terry Townson and his crew transformed the song.
But the title was so brand and did not really reflect the mood of the song;
When someday Im dead and gone,
No mourning clothes nor song........
It sounded like a suicide note to a lover, thanking her for her love.
Well then, we changed the name to suicide note. And sounding now like the best song on the album, we changed the album name to "Suicide Note-An Africoblues Album." Check that!!
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Check Out Paapa Nyarkoh's Amazing New Album "Benya"
My review will follow soon. Classic stuff!!
Friday, 3 October 2014
AFRICOBLUES - Making Papa Appiah's "Suicide Note" - 2
It's been years of strife, of failure and disappointments, of joy and of sorrow, but I think I can finally confirm, that the long-awaited album by Papa Appiah, "Suicide Note", is coming out for sure this month. If anybody had told me when I started strumming my guitar along the beeches of Cape Coast several years ago that it would take nearly thirty years to get an album out, I would not have believed them. Fruitless years in medical school and a hopeless career delivering babies on labour wards in NHS hospitals are partly to blame. But the musical spirit that tormented my soul for years has finally triumphed.
I have been keenly aware of the fact that this could possibly be the only album I ever manage to release and so nothing has been left to chance. In recording this album, I employed the services of Ghana's most celebrated international 
musical producer, Kwame Yeboah, with whom I have forged a musical partnership that hopefully, will last long beyond this album. And boy is the guy a genius. It takes literally two hours in the studio with Kwame to convert a failing song into a monster hit. He has a musical touch that is simply a gift from God. Kwame is a multi-instrumentalist who plays most of the instruments on the album except percussion, which is so efficiently done by Ghana's renowned percussionist, Nana Tsiboe.
But the album still needed something extra. So I googled for an online horns arranger and a name came up, Terry Townson. I had neither heard of him, nor heard anything he had done before. I was simply happy to have found somebody who was dedicated to arranging horns in songs. For after all, I could have brought horns men in to play for me but would not have had a clue what to direct them to play. So I sent Terry an email.
"Hi Terry, I have a challenge for you. I have a few Afr
My email may have amused him but may also have triggered some intellectual and professional curiosity in him. He responded within 10 minutes.
"Send me one song first. I'll listen to some African songs with horns in them and we'll see what we can do"
And that was the beginning. After he had agreed to do the work, I decided to research on him further, only to nearly collapse in shock. Terry Townson is a Grammy Award winning horns arranger and largely regarded as one of the best trumpeters in the world. But what a guy. His humility and dedication to his work was an example to me. Again, he became a good friend of mine and hope to continue working with him well into the future.
This has turned out to be an album produced by top world class producers and mixed in top recording studios in Europe and the result is amazing. The ballard, "Just Friends", with its intricate horn arrangement, will be released as a single in Europe. Window Love, a song I wrote in the university about nocturnal nefarious activities that most teenagers in our time often engaged in, is bound to go down a storm in Ghana. The track "Old Tradition", an "africoblues" tune expressing heartbreak and torment, is better heard than explained.
There was a joke flying around when I was a little boy in Cape Coast. The adults used to enjoy sharing it but little knew, that we overheard it all. A young lady who had just had a round of sex with an older man turned to the man and asked
There was a joke flying around when I was a little boy in Cape Coast. The adults used to enjoy sharing it but little knew, that we overheard it all. A young lady who had just had a round of sex with an older man turned to the man and asked
"Uncle, have you finished?"
"Why do you ask?" The man responded
"I just wanted to know if I could wear my panties and go" the girl answered
"Silly you, lie down!! Do you think Oguaa Cedi is a joke? I'm going to pee and come back for 4 more rounds!!"
Oguaa Cedi, the song, humorously expresses these sentiments in a solid africoblues rhythm that is sure to send fans dancing all night long. The album is designed for the World Music scene, but there is sure enough there to get the fans raving back home in Ghana. It's been 30 years, but believe me, it's been worth the wait.
Thanks for your support and prayers.
I have been trying to make a musical album all my adult life. So when the end seemed near, I was overfilled with joy. I looked round for anybody and anything that would give the album that little extra polish. The album is largely sang in English but there are two songs on the album in twi. I thought, well, what an opportunity to get a certain renowned singer in Ghana to help me by doing backing vocals on those two songs for me.
"That should be no problem" she said
She asked me to simply email the songs to a certain studio and discuss terms with the owner and once that was done she would go and do the recording there. So far so good. I was impressed. Professionalism on show.
"But how much would it cost me to have your wonderful voice on my music?" I finally summoned the courage to ask.
"You said you were calling from the UK?"
I knew immediately there was going to be trouble. What had where I was calling from to do with anything.
"Its going to cost you 1000 pounds per song" she said
"You mean Ghana New Cedis" I helpfully suggested
"No! I said pounds"
She meant business. She was going to charge me a thousand, not Ghana cedis, not even dollars, pounds, for each song, just to do backing vocals. I felt like I had been poleaxed
"Well" she continued unashamedly "just google my name and see all the work I have been doing. Times have changed in Ghana."
After much pleading and haggling, I managed to get her, finally, to agree to accept 250 pounds for each song.
Then I called the studio owner, a renowned musician I had known in the UK.
"Will cost you two hundred" he said
I swear to God that that was what I heard. I was so relieved to finally speak to somebody sensible. Of course he had stayed in the Uk. He understood how we were all struggling here.
"Oh I really love your music" he added
The alarm bells started to ring in my head. Over the years I had developed a strong suspicion of professional musicians who were too quick to praise your music.
Soon after we had finished speaking, I received a text from him
"I hope you understood the bill. Its a thousand pounds per track. So two thousand pounds for the two songs."
Why had he found it necessary to text me. Perhaps he knew how ridiculous it all was and was surprised I had accepted it straightaway. He must have felt I probably had not heard it right or I definitely would have haggled. Or had he had a chat with someone else and been told what a fool he had been and decided to try to milk out some more from the cow. And he bargained hard. In the end he agreed to help the backing singer with the arrangement and charge me 400 pounds per song. I gave them the go-ahead to proceed. They wanted the money transferred via Western Union. So I withdrew the one thousand three hundred pounds over a couple of days and made my way to the transfer office.
On my way , however, something must have blown off my eyes. For I suddenly looked at that large bundle of cash in my hand and thought;
"Wow! All this money! For what? Backing vocals? On two songs! In Ghana!"
Suddenly, I started fuming in anger. I called the musicians and cancelled the job. I then decided, that I was not going to spend a penny of that sum. Out of anger, I was going to blow it all on my music and see how far it would take me.
I sent three hundred pounds to a Grammy Award winning horns arranger in Canada to rearrange all the horns on both song. And what a wonderful job he did. I paid five hundred pounds to book three full day studio sessions. Then I paid two very good Uk singers 200 pounds and 150 pounds each to do backing vocals on eight songs. I still had 150 pounds left. So I brought in a bassist to redo the bass on a 
song for 50 pounds. I still had a hundred pounds left. So I brought in a saxophonist to come and blow away on one song. A thousand three hundred pounds well spent and not put in the pockets of con artists.
And the music is far richer for it.
"Silly you, lie down!! Do you think Oguaa Cedi is a joke? I'm going to pee and come back for 4 more rounds!!"
Oguaa Cedi, the song, humorously expresses these sentiments in a solid africoblues rhythm that is sure to send fans dancing all night long. The album is designed for the World Music scene, but there is sure enough there to get the fans raving back home in Ghana. It's been 30 years, but believe me, it's been worth the wait.
Thanks for your support and prayers.
Papa Appiah
AFRICOBLUES - Making Papa Appiah's "Suicide Note" -1
I have been trying to make a musical album all my adult life. So when the end seemed near, I was overfilled with joy. I looked round for anybody and anything that would give the album that little extra polish. The album is largely sang in English but there are two songs on the album in twi. I thought, well, what an opportunity to get a certain renowned singer in Ghana to help me by doing backing vocals on those two songs for me.
I knew immediately there was going to be trouble. What had where I was calling from to do with anything.
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