SriBuO Album Review - Morris D'Voice - Home & Away

More Stores

This Saturday June 26, at the Silver Bird stores in Accra from 2pm - 5pm, One Mic Entertainment will be unveiling Morris D'Voice to the world. If there is one word I can think of to sum up Morris as an artiste, it would be versatile. It is very rare that you find song writing, sound engineering, lyrical and vocal talent all at such a level in an artiste. Journey with me "Home & Away" as we take a look at what Morris has on offer in his debut album.

The album starts out with "Anaa". This twi song is also on Okyeame Kwame's album and has received lots of radio airplay. Check out one of our previous posts for the inside scoop on this song. The next song on the album is a dialogue of sorts titled "Boy friend". With lyrics in Twi and English, Morris and his female partner both sing about how they want you to stop harassing them because they are in relationships. This is quite an interesting start to the album. Valentine ft. Okyeame Kwame, is another of the previously released songs on this album:


I will be skipping the next song and as they say "save the best for last". "Crave", the track after that, is about a lover missing their departed love. Morris ties this track to his "Home & Away" theme in two interesting ways. The chorus of the song has interesting Ghanaian percussion backing it, with the regular parts of the song having a more traditional R&B sound. He is "Home" and she is "Away" and because of that his "heart won't behave" and is craving her touch. If you are the kind of person who likes to use songs to propose to someone you love, the next song "I love you" is a perfect candidate for you. The bridge of the song is enchanting and will definitely convey to your "Cutey" that they have "stolen your heart". The video for this song will be premiering on Ghanamusic.com in a week or two so be sure to watch out for it.

Morris fully returns Home on the track "Kofi Anto". The beat for this track is traditional Highlife and Kofi's story is reminiscent of the story of the Prodigal son. There is some very good advice in this song so please pay close attention to the lyrics when you listen to it. Monnyae ft. Okyeame Kwame, Wazaa me and Susu kye woho ft. Stone Flow king and Rose are some more "Home & Away" tracks on the album. Highlife and Hip hop like beats coupled with Twi and English lyrics mean that they mix both the local and foreign into tunes you can move your body to.

"Someone" is another love ballad on the album. Morris pays homage to the King of Pop on this song with some parts of his singing style. To fully appreciate this, you will have to listen to the track. Morris also pours out his heart with some English rapping about 2 minutes into the song. At the very end of the track, he goes on to hit one of the highest notes I have ever heard a male vocalist execute on a track like this. Oh and in case you were wondering "Someone" is a song of appreciation for love given to you; the perfect message for that special someone in your life. "Shame on You" is a song on the album that speaks for itself. You can listen to the unplugged version below to understand what I mean by that:
SHAME ON YOU - UNPLUGGED


At this point I hope your appetite has been whetted enough to get you to go support Morris at Silverbird come this Saturday. If you are outside Ghana, you don't have to feel left out. You can grab a copy of the album from iTunes, Amazon etc. and dance to it during the launch :D.

I would like to apologize for having kept you waiting so long for one of the most heart-warming tracks on this album - "Could this be love?" It is quite a poignant question and Morris answers it with lyrics worth listening to. After listening to it, I'm sure you will be asking yourself the same thing about this album
COULD THIS BE LOVE?



Be sure to check out SriBuO on Facebook and SriBuO's Home Page for more Ghanaian music albums online.
Contact us at sribuo@gmail.com if you want your album to be featured online.

- Credits George Armah

SriBuO DOUBLE Album Review - Abodam + Ma Kwan!

"Abodaaaaaam" ... it is Mad Time and this weekend we will be exploring the creative genius of Ghana's MADDEST Hiplife artiste ... the man who i also known as the man insane, head knocker, king of hiplife - Kwaw Kese. First of all there is something you should note about Kwaw Kese, he is one of the very few rappers who I know raps in Fante and does it effortlessly.

Let us start with what I believe was his debut album from Mad Time Entertainment - Abodam (literally translated to mean Madness):

More Stores

This album garnered Kwaw Kese several Ghana Music Awards and established him as a force to be reckoned with in the Hiplife industry. One of the really popular tracks on it "Na Yaa Tan", is a Fante rendition of Fat Joe's "Lean back" with a Ghanaian twist. Many a night club rocked to this joint and you can see why for yourself in the video clip below:


Another landmark track from the Abodam album, which made waves largely in part due to its video clip is Odiem. Odiem is an interesting track. It has the same tempo as Na Yaa Tan but talks about something completely different. Kwaw Kese is basically telling suitors out there that if they "chuck" (stop) the girl, "yorb" (sweet talk) her and check her well enough, they will "nyim" (impregnate) her and hit the jackpot (Odiem). I think the intent of his message is that the faint heart never won a fair lady so guys, go all out when you trying to win a woman. What a video to demonstrate this though!


One of my personal favorites from this album is Kwansema. On this track, you get a taste for Kwaw Kese's mellow side when he sings and raps about his long lost love - Kwansema, who he has missed so much. He wants her to come back soon before his heart breaks. The song also provides a nice change in tempo from the other club tracks that grace this album. Listen to it and judge for yourself:


Abodam has 7 more tracks and is currently available worldwide from iTunes, Amazon and other online stores. Odo yede (Love is sweet) and Makuma (My heart) are two of the other tracks where the "Romeo" in this artiste is again unleashed. There is a remix to "Na Yaa Tan" featuring 2Toff that is also featured on this album. It is similar sounding to the original, however it is a more upbeat and faster paced version. Finally another very interesting track on this album is "The world (Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop)" which features Castro Destroyer. The title of this song is pretty much self explanatory. Kwaw Kese is asking a simple question in this track - Why do we have to struggle so hard in this world only for some fool to reap the benefits?


At this point I'm sure you have noticed that in addition to his trademark Abodamness, Kwaw Kese is an *extremely* creative artiste. The question I keep pondering is that did the Abodamness give birth to the creative genius of Kwaw, or did the Creative genius have as its consequence, the Abodam trademark.


More Stores

Now if you thought Kwaw Kese's first album was crazy, think again. His sophomore debut - Ma Kwan! is completely on another level of artistic flair. The sound engineering footprint of Hammer is distinctly noticed on the title track for this album. The track also features Ayigbe Edem. Kwaw Kese launched this album with a much fanfare and a street parade in Accra, where he gave out copies of the album for free. I'm not sure if any other Ghanaian artiste has done that before. Check out the video clip for Ma Kwan below. Be aware that this song has a very interesting effect on its listener. After listening, you keep hearing the beat in your mind's ear, crystal clear like it was playing live; another testament to Hammer, Edem and Kwaw's collaborative artistry:


Ma Kwan is a versatile album that touches a lot of different topics. The album starts out by giving thanks and praise to the Most High on the track "Thanks & Praise" featuring Stone Boy. Abodam then preaches world peace on his next track "WAR" which features Wyclef Jean and has a beat produced by Skillions Records. He also has two interesting tracks that deal with environmental cleanliness and sanitation; namely, "Obul" and "Ma Samenyo".

The man insane has one track on this album "Wole Wope" whose lyrics are basically a long chain of Oxymorons: You like ice cream but have bad breath, bad teeth and bad dreams, You like high heels but have bad legs ... and the list goes on and on and on. How he managed to cram so many of these into one song, only God knows; but it is well worth the listen.


A personal favorite of mine on this song is nursery rhyme like sounding love song whose title "Wonkoaah" translates to "I will give all my heart to only you". Kwaw Kese pours his heart out to his lover on this song ... and then sings with so much fervor that even though his voice isn't silky smooth, you can hear the full emotion behind the song. Here is a full preview of this song for your listening pleasure


By now, I am sure there is no doubt in your mind as to the creative genius of Abodam. Your Ghana music collection certainly won't be complete without
copies of your favorite songs from his albums. Check out http://sribuo.com for more stores to get this album from. Also, Kwaw is hard at work on his next album. He has already released some singles from it and you can find them on SriBuO's facebook page


Contact us at sribuo@gmail.com if you want your album to be featured online.
- Credits George Armah

Morris D'Voice Unveiled - Worldwide Album Launch On Jun 26

Marx Morris Twumasi, AKA Morris D’ Voice who has recently been known by all music lovers for his singing aptitude is to be officially unveiled to music fans in Ghana and around the world. Come the 26th of June 2010, the Silver Bird Lifestyle store at the Accra mall will come alive with Morris D’voice as he promises all who will attend the event a dazzling and thrilling showdown while he does what he knows how to do best, singing.

From 2:00 to 5:00 pm, on the Saturday, music fans are expected to throng the exquisite Silver bird store as there would also be free autograph signing by the singer. The album to be launched along side the prolific singer is entitled “Home and Away” and is expected to make huge impact on the Ghanaian music scene and around the world. The album has eighteen sensational tracks including the famous “shame on you”, “valentine” to mention a few. Come June 26, the album will also be available from iTunes (US, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, UK/EU, Japan, Mexico), Amazon.com, Napster, Zune and other world wide music stores.

Other new hit tracks comprising, “I love you”, “crave”, “could this be love” and others are likely to change the RNB industry in Ghana and make waves overseas. Until not too long ago, Morris has been known for the sound engineering aspect of his career which has produced countless hit songs both in the secular and the gospel fronts.

In an interview, Morris reveals he begun singing in church while he was still a toddler and also coming from a musically inclined family, there was very little he did to be able to sing. “My father use to be a musician in the late 80’s and also my family is blessed with music. Some of us sing, drum and play instruments very well and this shows that music is in me and am in music” he continued.

Morris began his singing professionally way back in the days of Kontihene when he sang the chorus of the “Akatasia” track which became an instant hit. He further featured on tracks of numerous artists and produced their beats as well and was prominently featured on the Gospel scene when he did a couple of tracks with the award winning Esther Smith.

As to whether he was going to quit being a sound engineer, the singing genius says that would be the last thing he would do since he loves music and see producing it tehnically as his hobby. Morris D’ Voice who recently signed on for One Mic entertainment has expressed his readiness to launch into higher heights with more spectacular and mind boggling music as he is now going into full time music in addition to his sound engineering.

LAUNCH AND AUTOGRAPH SIGNING
A ONE MIC ENTERTAINMENT EVENT SPONSORED BY 4SYTE, FIESTA, AND SKYY GROUP OF COMPANIES,SILIVERBIRD
XFM - OFFICIAL RADIO SPONSOR
INTERNET MEDIA SPONSORS - ghanacelebrities.com, ameyawdebrah.com, africanpromo.com, myjoyonline.com, sribuo.com
ARTISTES
LYNX, ONE MIC AND BLACAPRICORN(KOD'S LABEL)

Credits - One Mic Entertainment

SriBuO Online Weekly Album Review - Bradez - Breakthru

More Stores


What exactly does it mean for a woman to make you feel so "Simple"? Bradez explained it on this song and it seemed to resonate with many Ghanaians since this track from their "Breakthru" album won the Most Popular Song of the Year award at the 2010 Ghana Music Awards. The song was definitely "a hit meeeeeeeeeeen" and was produced by Richie from LYNX Entertainment studios. See exactly what we are referring to in the video below:




Kwabena Kwabena, the romantic songster, collaborates with them on the next track on the album "Dondoo". This track has a steady, danceable highlife beat and you could certainly picture a newly married couple dancing to it at their wedding.

Richie and Asem from Lynx Entertainment feature again on the next track "Flashe". Bradez are asking their fans to flash them so they call back. For those of you who don't know what flashing is ... this refers to the practice where you call someone long enough for them to see your missed call but hang up before they pick up so that none of your talk time is used. This is not to be confused with the other kind of body-part-exposing "flashing" :).

Another really popular song from the album is the remix of Okyeame Kwame's Woso track (another one produced by Lynx Entertainment). The song talks about shaking all your troubles off. Kunta Kinte and Stone Da Flow King rap so fast on this track ... so fast that you have to slow time to hear what they are saying sometimes ... and to do that in Twi is no small feat. See it for yourself in the video clip for this album:




One hit banger from the album that didn't get much airplay was "Run Things (ft. Richie)". Chale, if they are playing this song in a club, and you hear it, and you don't move ... then ... (no comment). Bradez and Richie definitely got it right running tins on this track. The militant, marching band beat sound combined with Bradez' witty English lyrics make this track a must add to your music library. Listen for yourself here:



Obeyi (ft. Praye), Senea Me Do Wo Yi and Dedeede are a slew of other songs on the album in which Bradez explore the many various facets of love and relationships. They sing, rap in Twi, English and explore the full versatility of their music talents on these tracks. Their lyrics are full of enough imagery and deep emotion that any man trying to woo a beaux could learn some very useful lessons from them.

Biibi Nsii Da A, the last song on the album deserves special mention. It is an inspirational track where they tell their fans (especially the youth) that anything is possible, if you can dream it and work hard at it, you can achieve it. If you have ever had a bad day or a day where you were feeling down, this track would be the perfect up-lifter for you. The acoustic guitar sound backing their lyrics really does justice to the ears.

Breakthru is certainly a breakthrough album for the Bradez. Stone Da Flow King and Kunta Kinte nailed this album right on. You will be playing it over and over and over and over again after you add it to your collection.

Check out SriBuO on Facebook.
Contact us at sribuo@gmail.com if you want your album to be featured online.

- Credits George Armah

SriBuO Online Weekly Album Review - Sidney - Scenti No!

More Stores

"Scenti nuoooooooooooooooo, scenti nu, akyi beebiaaaaa!" Ladies and gentlemen, this week we have dug through the archives to bring you a blast from the past. We present to you "Scenti No!" one of the many controversial albums from Ghana's one and only "Hiplife Ninja", Sidney. Originally released in 2004, the title track of this album, "Scenti Nu"addresses a serious canker that has been plaguing Ghanaian society for a while : all the numerous unwholesome scents that one encounters in the country. Using a modified instrumental sound track from C+C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", the song has a very catchy and easy to remember chorus which made it very popular in Ghana; loosely translated, it means "The smell from the shoes, the smell from the clothes, the smell from the socks, the smell from the armpits ... the smell is everywhere!!". No other song has so lucidly addressed this issue ... here is just a preview list of the scents:
- The armpits of some trotro mate collecting fares
- The socks and shoes of an honorable MP after a hard days work
- The gutter at the fuel station in Achimota
- The flatulence of an innocent-until-proven-guilty someone who releases a silent bomber in an air conditioned room ... and the list goes on and on ...
Here is the track for those of you who want to preview it before buying : http://sribuo.com/soundz/Sidney/Scenti%20No/01%20Scenti%20No.mp3


Another very popular song from the album "Hye Nkom" is one where Sidney prophesies blessings and good things into everyone's life. We hope all his prophecies come true, especially, the one about Ghana's Black Stars winning the World Cup!! Sidney tells us about how he sold his "Colour TV" and used the money to buy a black and white one in the track "Colour TV". The morale of the story it seems, is that you don't and won't know what you have till its gone. After that you will regret letting it go.

Sidney also remixes some older high life tracks and lays his lyrics on them in this album. "Wone Whan" (Who be you?) is the first of such tracks. This song is a deep reflection on the twists and turns of life, admonishing us to help our fellow mankind because you never know when you might need help. "Meko" is another of the high life renditions Sidney remixes. The theme for this song is about betrayal and the fact that those you meet on your way up are the same people you will meet on your way down. He asks us to treat all people fairly, lest you need help from someone you disregarded in the past.

Other tracks on this album include "Edeeshi", "Ibi So" and "Mind Da Gap" (you really want to listen to this one ... the Hiplife Ninja raps partly in English on this track ... a very rare occurrence). Sidney has an electrifying stage presence. Watch this video from one of his performances at the National Theater in Accra you will see what I am saying ...



Overall, this album is one of the "Classics" or "Must Haves" for all Hiplife lovers out there. Your collection will not be complete until you have Sidney's "Scenti Nuooooooo, Scenti Nu!!" album in it. Go grab your copy now!!


Check out SriBuO on Facebook.
Contact us at sribuo@gmail.com if you want your album to be featured online.

- Credits George Armah