nyamekye junction: dasein
Francisco Espregueira
Born of chance meetings in Accra, Nyamekye Junction brings together a Burundian producer and vocalist, Betina Quest; with a Ghanaian singer-songwriter, Eli A Free; and a German percussionist and multi instrumentalist, Ma.ttic. This new collaborative project presents their debut via Kitto Records that follows the critically acclaimed Sankofa Season, a debut collaboration from UK legends Andrew Ashong & Kaidi Tatham, introducing a new three-piece band. Dasein challenges lazy stereotypes of modern ‘African’ music as being synonymous with Afrobeats alone, including a mixture of synths and samplers with enchanting vocals and traditional West African percussion instruments like the Frikyiwa, Kpanlogos and Kayamba to produce a sound that is at once nostalgic and futuristic. The four track EP travels through many genres, back and forth, hard-hitting and meditative, undefinable and unrepeated, politically cutting and uplifting.
In Dasein, the Nyamekye Juction trio adeptly channel a wide range of influences, from the Ghanaian legends Ebo Taylor and Osibisa through to US mainstays such as Nina Simone and Erykah Badu; with equal regard given to UK innovators like Benjamin Clementine and Mala. The resulting debut is a stunning collage which showcases the band’s impressive range and evolving sound by traversing a diverse range of moods, rhythms and textures. In Eli’s words, Dasein (from the German for ‘existence’, ‘being there’), captures “the need to live in this moment here and now with a heart full of gratitude” while exploring a number of interlinked themes, including the importance of one's environment - cultural and political, as well as physical - in situating, shaping and explaining each individual’s identity. Available on vinyl, Nyamekye Junction present anon-conventional collection of music, curated by Kitto Records.
“Nyamekye Junction take their name from a bustling junction in the Ghanaian capital, where a number of major roads merge, embodying the musical approach of the band: a singular sound at the junction of their cultural heritages.”