Ghana: Santrofi shares video for Alewa

Shot in Ghana at locations in Accra and Aburi, the colourful, Salifu Abdul Hafiz-directed video preaches love, peace and unity, portraying harmony among races in various settings. 

Released via Outhere Records, the 10-track Alewa LP summons guitar highlife, which melds African polyrhythms, as well as Afrobeat and '70s funk. Thematically, the album addresses “the need to recognise, accept, tolerate and embrace racial diversity and to build a world with love and unity,” according to Outhere Records. In June 2020, the album peaked at No 1 on the World Music Charts Europe. The same year, the band was named in Songlines Magazine’s Essential 10 Festival Bands list, which was featured in its August-September issue.

Led by bass player Emmanuel Ofori, Santrofi has played with highlife greats such as Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, Osibisa and George Darko, as well as contemporary popstars, including Ghana’s Sarkodie and 2Baba from Nigeria.

The release of the video heralds the band’s Deep into Highlife Tour, which will see them on a number of live stages in Germany. The tour is in support of their upcoming EP with the same title, which finds them collaborating with Afrobeats newcomer Camidoh, as well as hip hop acts Black Sherif and Yaw Tog.

Purchase or listen to Alewa here