{"title":"Peter Somuah","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"letter-to-the-universe","title":"Letter to the Universe","description":"\u003cp\u003ePeter Somuah spins tales that come from his instrument: as a young trumpet player, he embarked on a fascinating search for his identity between the Highlife music of his native country, Miles Davis - his idol - and the cosmopolitan musical language of Holland, the country which is now his home. He tells that story in \u003ci\u003eLetter to the Universe\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith his new album, Peter Somuah has ventured further out into the musical cosmos as a travelling storyteller. His new compositions reflect the stages of his young life: his Ghanaian past, the work of his jazz idols and the lively ‘Afropean’ scene of his new home in the Benelux. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the pulsating and frenzied album track, ‘Mission on Earth’, one can read an unmistakable dedication to Miles Davis’s ‘Bitches Brew’ phase, and also an echo of the layered architecture of today’s cosmic jazz as played by the likes of Kamasi Washington. That track is also a perfect demonstration of quite how tight and organic the interplay is with his Dutch band with keyboardist and producer Anton de Bruin throughout the album. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo follow Peter Somuah on his quest between the continents of Europe and Africa is something totally refreshing and unexpected, particularly for European ears. What the young Ghanaian has done is to bring his own new and previously unheard stories to the cosmopolitan jazz of the 21st century. This is an open- ended journey, which makes it all the more exciting to find out where Somuah’s story is goi\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50490087211339,"sku":"2024238","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50490087113035,"sku":"2024237","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Letter_to_the_Universe_830073ac_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727651502"},{"product_id":"highlife-2","title":"Highlife","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Highlife album is an ode to the Ghanaian tradition of highlife music and features the legends of the genre. Highlife has a unique sound with a distinctive finger-picking style of playing on the guitar, minimalistic yet groovy bass lines, percussive keyboard patterns, soulful melody lines by the brass section, and much emphasis on rhythm. The opening song of the album, We Give Thanks, features Pat Thomas, also known as “the golden voice of Africa”. Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, the first musician worldwide to incorporate rap into highlife music, appears on Chop chop. And 93-year old Koo Nimo, who was a leading highlife musician and the first Ghanaian to have their music be put on a CD, narrates some of the origins of the highlife genre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the ten-track album Peter Somuah, who grew up playing in highlife bands, mixes elements of the highlife genre with jazz, creating what he calls “highlife jazz”. The album emulates the vintage sound from the highlife era, with a modern touch. It also connects Ghana’s older and younger generations of musicians. Besides the members of his Rotterdam-based band, Somuah invited young Ghanaian musicians onto the album. Singer Lamisi Akuka features on African Continent and brings soulful musical influences from the northern part of Ghana, while Bright Osei Baffour provides traditional highlife riffs on the guitar and Thomas Botchway adds grooves on the talking drum.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore than on his previous two albums, Somuah also reflects on the political context he grew up in. In Mental Slavery Somuah sings of the remaining psychological impact of colonialism. Indeed, the very name of the highlife genre refers to the fact that it was originally mostly the colonial elite in Ghana (“high life”) that got to enjoy the music. And in Chop Chop, featuring artist Ambolley takes a dig at greedy political leaders. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album conveys heartfelt messages of social justice, healing and gratitude but never fails to encourage the listener to swing along.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50532161454411,"sku":"2220756","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50532161159499,"sku":"2220751","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/image-1.php_a221dcc9_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728115343"},{"product_id":"walking-distance","title":"Walking Distance","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWalking Distance\u003c\/em\u003e is a journey through sound that bridges cultures, genres and everyday experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eBlending post-bop jazz, Arab melodies, Latin grooves, blues, funk and the rhythms of Ghanaian music, the album celebrates the deep connections that exist between seemingly different worlds, reminding us that, in truth, they are always just walking distance away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eInspired by the rhythms of daily life, walking through city streets, driving, checking distances and observing the world, each composition reflects the universal pulse that unites us all. Peter Somuah invites listeners to feel both grounded and uplifted, to reconnect with themselves and the world around them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWalking Distance\u003c\/em\u003e is Somuah’s exploration of the space between tradition and innovation, a musical bridge that finds unity in diversity and brings us closer together through sound.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Act Music","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56514771845451,"sku":"R9895-2541","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56514771878219,"sku":"R9895-4798","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2000x2000bb_4a822ed0-9cc3-40a1-812d-c2f6db34ca7c.jpg?v=1770996827"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/peter-somuah.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}