Okaidja Afroso, a Ghanaian singer, dancer, guitarist, and composer, has been based in Oregon since 1999 but remains deeply connected to his Gãdangmé roots in a coastal fishing community in Ghana. As a young Ghanaian musician, he is fluent in his ancestors' traditions yet determined to create music for his time. In a 2022 interview about his sixth album, Jàkú Mũmo, Afroso said, "The idea was to write songs that were new songs, but sound old." He described his music as "Afro Soul," a blend of African polyrhythmic styles, highlife, jazz, and what he calls "Afro Zen music."
Afroso's new album, Àbɔɔ Édíŋ, the second in a planned trilogy, aims to honor, preserve, and update traditions. The opener, "Fóó Tè," echoes palm wine and highlife music while encouraging mindful progress in life. Many songs, such as "Kasoa" and the title track "Àbòr Édiń," feature ternary rhythms (3/4, 6/8, 12/8) that create an animated, ceremonial feel. "Kasoa" celebrates a simpler lifestyle, while "Àbòr Édiń" reflects on life's seasons with the refrain, "Time waits for nobody." The earworm "Jojo," a lament about Afroso's relationship with his father, is closer to a waltz: "How I wish you listened to my yearnings with your heart and not your ears."
Afroso's vocals range from assertive reediness in "Àkpàlé" to warm layering reminiscent of Lokua Kanza in "Black Soil Woman." His sincere and provocative messages touch on nostalgia, environmental concerns, the corruption of modern love, and the role of ancestral wisdom in a rapidly changing world. Excellent backing musicians support the light, acoustic grooves that carry Afroso's melodies and messages. As we await the conclusion of his philosophical trilogy, it's clear that Okaidja Afroso is an artist with staying power.
