Ghana: FRA! drops I Go Dey 4 U

‘I Go Dey 4 U’ was self-produced and recorded in Accra, Ghana. It arrives as the first song of the band’s new album, which is due for release later this year. 

The record draws its title from a West African pidgin phrase that translates as “I’ll be there for you.” It preaches friendship as the core of all human interaction.

“The desire for affirmation from other people is hardwired into each and every one of us,” the band told Music In Africa. “That desire is only complete knowing that you have someone who has your back.”

This is not the band’s first collaboration with Six Strings and the members of FRA! say they partnered with the ‘Sobolo’ man for his superior talent and "sense of humour, which blends nicely with his songwriting as he tends to touch on social issues as a musician.”

“The production process is usually a breeze,” FRA! said about how the song came to life. “Having been together for a long time as friends and making a song about friendship was no challenge because even as musicians everyone knows exactly what to do or where to fit in the band during our songwriting and production process.”

FRA! translates from Akan as “a mix” and the band’s compositions are characterised by a fusion of sounds including Afrobeat, highlife and Afro-funk, as well as melodic phrasings and progressive roots based on an Afrocentric heritage. As a winner of the 10th edition of Casa Africa’s Vis-a-Vis project, the band toured Spain in July 2019, where they performed at major music festivals like Etnosur, Pirineos Sur and Canarias Jazz Festival.

FRA! say the new album, which will be the band’s third, is essentially about the collective: “We’ve intertwined stories about each other’s personal experiences in music. Most of the material comes from our waiting period being home after our plans to go on our second tour were abruptly truncated by the pandemic. It provided the perfect opportunity for us to put this together.”