We Have One Destiny (CD)

Ayuune Sule

MR 23 ● CD ● 2018

10.00

Ayuune Sule: kologo, voice

Say Yine Ma

Ayuune Sule brings the Soul into Kologo Power. In Kumasi, the second city of Ghana and capital of the Ashanti region, Ayuune Sule is the main kologo star. The most famous kologo player these days in the whole of Ghana and abroad is King Ayisoba. Together with King Ayisoba, Guy One, Atongo Zimba and Sambo, he represents the generation that broke kologo music outside of the North East Region of Ghana. In Europe we know Ayuune Sule as a member of King Ayisoba’s band and as a solo artist who often opens up for his shows. In 2015 he released his 7″ single with the songs “What A Man Can Do A Woman Can Do More Better” and “Who Knows Tomorrow” on Makkum Records (MR12), which put his name out into the western scenes.

And now there is the full length album of Ayuune Sule! When listening to Sule’s guest vocals on King Ayisoba’s albums you hear the warm velvet voice of Ayuune Sule as a striking contrast to King Ayisoba’s forceful rasping vocals. “We Have One Destiny” is full of that velvet tone and true West African soul power. Living in Kumasi makes it easy for Ayuune Sule to be influenced by southern Ghanaian music styles such as Azonto and Hiplife and fuse those with the rhythms and scales from the north. This album is a true mix between modern and traditional as Ayuune Sule included the song “Senyaane”, an acoustic song with just the sinyaka (the kalebas filled with hard berries that sounds like a giant maracas and is hit and thrown up between two hands played by Sule in King Ayisoba’s band) and his voice.

The song “What A Man Can Do A Woman Can Do More Better” became an underground hit all over Europe ever since Sule played it live when opening for King Ayisoba on tour. People know it as a solo kologo and voice song, as it is featured on the 7″ but on the album it gets a full-on studio production from Francis Ayamga who is also the drummer in King Ayisoba’s band and a well known producer in the north of Ghana. Ayuune Sule tells: “What A Man Can Do…”, was written when I was invited by an NGO called SEND GHANA to perform on an event about Gender Equality and I understood them because I saw young ladies who were holding high positions and were performing very good in the organisation. In their job they were teaching the world a lesson. I then came to the point of sharing their sentiment and that’s how that song came about.

The album starts with “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right” which brings Ayuune Sule’s life motto to the front: we have one destiny: We all have to make peace since we are all equal, we have to help and respect each other. Today you might be on top but you don’t know tomorrow. We are all the same for our God. The song title “Eye Vim” means “real love”; being desperate for what belongs to your heart. Say Yine Ma means “only God”. Asibi is about the person called Asibi, a lady with a monitory mind. In the song I am telling Asibi to meet me tomorrow. Keleke means: as a leader, gossip won’t help you; you have to concentrate on what is necessary. Pongse means: some women are dangerous. Senyaane means: respect is all; we have to respect each other. Parimame means: “lies”; don’t lie because some things will transpire, that is why I sang that song.

“In 2013, it was the first time that Ayuune Sule came to Europe as part of King Ayisoba’s band, a tour set up with the ever immense and inexhaustible help of Arnold de Boer. Meeting Ayuune Sule for the first time at the alternative Les Ateliers Claus venue in Brussels was a genuine encounter of souls. He gifted me with a CD-R, which proved to be a well produced work of powerful solo songs which set him apart from other contemporaries of the kologo scene. In the years to follow we would often meet during tours and talk about his music. His single “What A Man Can Do A Woman Can Do More Better” became an instant hit on the Rebel Up nights and in our numerous DJ sets, I would even say my favourite song of 2015. The idea of releasing his upcoming studio album started to take shape and in early 2018 the time was right for Rebel Up Records to see the light. It’s a big honour to have Ayuune Sule’s album as our first label release. Akwaaba Ayuune, your music is home here!”

— Seb Bassleer, Rebel Up Records.

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