"The award for the most festive band at WOMEX goes, as far as I'm concerned, to the
Ghanaian group Santrofi. The eight-man formation is strongly inspired by the pioneers
of the Ghanaian highlife, especially Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas. What a pleasure to see
this energetic collective at work. Armed with trombone, guitar, drum, tama and
keyboards Santrofi makes everyone dance with a sultry cocktail of highlife, Caribbean
styles, soukous and Nigerian afrobeat.“
mixedworldmusic.com

Even without an album out: they have already set the world on fire freaking out
audiences all over Europe on their 2019 summer festival tour including Sines in
Portugal, WOMAD in UK, Roskilde and WOMEX in Tampere. This young allstar band
from Ghana brims with gifted musicians and energy on stage. The 8 piece collective is
made up of a young generation of awarded musicians who have backed anyone in
Ghana from Azonto sensation Sarkodie to Nigerian superstar 2 Face Idibia, but their
passion isn’t local pop but Highlife. And their mission is to bring it back; not only to the
world but also to Ghana, where the young generation has forgotten all about this
great music.
Santrofi’s debut album Alewa now brings you a new wave of fresh highlife rooted in
the past with a knowledge of the future directly from the streets of Accra. Santrofi was
founded by bassist and producer Emmanuel Ofori who rose from the source having
played with Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas and Kwashibu Area Band and has now formed his
own band collective: Santrofi. The 8 musicians are deeply rooted in vintage Ghanaian
highlife music in all its forms. The influences range from the riveting fast-paced pulse
of 70s dance-guitar highlife, or the other-worldly sound of Highlife funk to the
polyrhythmic beats and melodies that took Afrobeat across the globe. The members
have toured the world with legends like Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Gyedu Blay Ambolley,
Osibisa, George Darko and many, many others. They have learnt from the masters and
are now ready to take highlife into the future.
Alewa is a metaphor for a popularly known local black and white striped sweet. It
symbolizes the need to recognize, accept, tolerate and embrace racial diversity to
build a world with love and unity. On stage: Santrofi breaks down hierarchies the
musicians alternate their roles each growing on the other’s talent while harmonizing
as a whole. Together they can tear every stage apart. The album was composed
arranged, produced and recorded in Ghana in a joint effort by Santrofi. This is only the
beginning. Expect more to come!

Santrofi in Akan mythology is a rare and precious bird, identified by its bright colours
and four wings. It is so unique, it was forbidden to be hunted. Attempting to catch and
lock up the bird will bring you bad luck. If spotted and left to fly away, great luck and
fortune can be expected.

So let the bird fly!

foto Santrofi © Jacob Crawfurd