This is Kologo Power!

Music from Bolgatanga, the capital of Ghana's Sahelian north-east region, is hugely different from the more accessible highlife generally made further south, but the world wouldn’t know anything about it if not for the work of Arnold de Boer, a Frisian/Dutch producer, guitarist and founder of Makkum Records. The label has already released material by several artists on this impressive sampler, compiled by one of them, King Ayisoba.

Although some of the nine others perform solely with vocals and two-stringed kologo, the surprising variety apparent within the narrow stylistic palette of kologo music is made up for by imaginative track sequencing, surprising production twists, and a few intriguing band arrangements. It's just a shame the sleeve notes don’t tell us anything about these, nor translate the urgent messages of those singing solely in the local Frafra language, although Atimbila's pidgin English is clear enough, and the infectiously poppy melody of the track ‘I Have Something to Say’ might just ensure that he's the next Bolgatangan artist to make an entire album.

Everything is kept acoustic and, mercifully, King Ayisoba's strict doctrine of ‘no computer beats’ is adhered to exclusively.