Afrobuddha is the hotly-awaited new music project from East London-based Japanese producer/DJ duo Kay Suzuki and Koichi Sakai, arguably two of the biggest and most respected names pushing at the boundaries of the capital’s independent world music scene over the last five years.
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Obame Vinyl (RIM004)
A1: Obame (Main Mix) 7:26
B1: Obame (Dub Mix) 7:09
B2: Obame (Treat Mix) 6:41
Obame Digital (RIM004D)
1. Obame (Radio Mix) 5:48
2. Obame (Dub mix) 7:09
3. Obame (Treat Mix) 6:41
Resident DJs and producers at some of East London’s most celebrated underground venues such as Passing Clouds and The New Empowering Church as well as a host of superior quality music events and festivals across the capital and beyond, Suzuki and Sakai have been taking followers of music par excellence on a journey through their own art and philosophy via rhythm oriented genres as diverse as house, disco, Afrobeat and reggae sweeping up into the mix the essence of London’s vibrant multi-cultural society, celebrating in particular the spiritual affinity they feel with the African and Afro-Caribbean music community.
The first release to hail from the Afrobuddha banner will be OBAME, a powerful collaboration with the KAKATSITSI DRUMMERS , a Ghanaian drum and dance troupe, featuring pioneering drummers from the Ga tribe of Southern Ghana, with their roots in the fishing community of Jamestown. They combine traditional drumming grooves, played on a wide variety of West African drums, with melodies from bamboo flutes, xylophone and folkloric chants in stunning harmony. They played at Glastonbury Festival 2013 with the legendary British electronic duo The Orb.
OBAME is the product of three years’ incubation and development of inspiration following Suzuki and Sakai’s meeting with the Kakatsitsi Drummers back in 2008. The track fuses their intoxicating raw drumming, traditional chants and bamboo flutes with Afrobuddha’s unique rendering of modern dance music to create a truly spiritual dance music of our time.
[ Listen to Afrobuddha Mix vol.1 ]
[ RIM004 ] Released 05 September 2011
Kakatsitsi Drummers :
Nii Kwartei Owoo (lead vocal)
Injoly Addo (djembe, backing vocals)
Okoo Amarteifio (djembe, Oslama, marakash, backing vocals)
Adotey Johnson (atumpani, cowbell, backing vocal)
Nii Boye Owoo (backing vocals)
Ashiley Amarteifio (lead vocal, backing vocal)
Okaley Okine (backing vocal)
Dela Botri (flutes)
Produced by Afrobuddha (Kay Suzuki and Koichi Sakai)
Co-produced by Steve Peake
Original materials reocrded by Greg Hunter and Steve Peake at Sidikou Studios, Accra,Ghana
Fender Rhodes by Kay Suzuki recorded by Ahmad Dayes at MIDI Music Centre, Deptford, UK
Additional program and Mix by Kay Suzuki at Studio Sputnik, Outerspace
Mastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis Studio, London, UK
Artwork by KANAT
Kakatsitsi Drummers’ contact : info(at)indigenouspeople.org.uk