Jembaa Groove - Ye Ankasa | We Ourselves (Agogo) [African Music]

Jembaa Groove is a multicultural band founded in late 2020 by bass player and composer Yannick Nolting and singer-percussionist Eric Owusu. This 7-piece liveband combines fresh sounds from Berlin’s underground music scene with traditional West-African sounds from Ghana and Mali.

Spring is springing, & with its warm West African rooted sound the new LP from Jembaa Groove via Agogo is hitting the seasonal change sweet spot . The laid back, good natured grooves are variously given some Afrobeat bump, smooth soul infusions & all sorts of jazz licks by the multi-cultural Berlin crew. If you need some warm, laid back grooves this weekend then look no further.

What The Release Notes Say

Rich in ancestral flows, between Ghana and Europe, powered by deep, conga led rhythms and seductive warm horn riffs come Jembaa Groove, whose new album and newly rendered sound, reminds us that jazz, in its contemporary, soulful form is not just a London ‘ting’. Highlife is Ghana’s colourful national tradition and is at the heart of Berlin based Jembaa Groove’s groove. And this newly crafted follow up to their debut album Susuma from 2022, goes even further in provoking new perceptions of jazz and soul music helped by young and senior blood from Ghana and its diaspora. Vocal masterclasses come via Sheffield (UK) based K.O.G and original veteran of the 70s and 80s highlife scene Gyedu Blay Ambolley with Ghanian multi-instrumentalist and producer Kwame Yeboah (Kwashibu Area Band) also providing inspiration.

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Playlist Companion

For more global music check out the Slow World Playlist.