Nsie Nsie

Ghanaian singers Y-Bayani and Baby Naa give their spin on African roots reggae on Nsie Nsie. Fusing reggae grooves with Ghanaian-pop, Afrobeat, gospel, and subtle hints of funk and house, this album has summertime-vibes written all over it. From the get-go, the heartfelt melodies and soaring harmonies (sung in the Fante dialect for the most part) burn with the heat of the African sun, yet are cooled by the effortless breeze of the band: rock-solid, rich in detail and alive with all the colours and sounds of a bustling Ghanaian marketplace.

A series of serendipitous events over six years led to this album, which is a collection of previously-released seveninch singles. Firstly, a chance meeting of label boss Max Weissenfeldt and singer Y-Bayani sparked the idea and, crucially, switched it from Afro-pop to reggae. Secondly, when a backing vocalist failed to show, church singer Baby Naa stepped in and completed the puzzle. The only tiny gripe is that some tracks could use a more prominent top line, something to really bring the music into the foreground. That said, there are plenty of hooks and hip-shaking rhythms. Nsie Nsie is definitely on my summer playlist.