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20.08.2012 Music

Highlife Time With Prekese Ghanamedia-Ayi Solomon, A Contemporary Of The Maestro Kojo Antwi?

By ICACA AfricaSankofa
Highlife Time With Prekese Ghanamedia-Ayi Solomon, A Contemporary Of The Maestro Kojo Antwi?
20.08.2012 LISTEN

"If music be the food of love, play on...."...Which famous musician has this super saying associated with his name? If you dont know, ask your daddy or mommy. My mom, Sister Faustina loves music and she always advises that good music always teach something positive and the opposite is also true: She is the one who encouraged, inspired and supported my interests in music and I am very happy that she is my sweet mom. She also said that ONE MAN does not make music and like life, no one is independent, thus every music track that you hear and love has behind the scene people you hardly hear of them.

If you are a Ghanaian, then the name Kojo Antwi, sounds familiar: Yes, the Music Man of Ghana started his musical journey with some people and his first popular album with the band, Classic Handles, was ANKWANOMA........and one of the musician, a percussionist who is the focus of this article is AYI SOLOMON: A powerful and highly skilled percussionist, Ayi Solomon's artistic contribution to global music in general and Ghana in particular is worth sharing: Ayi Solomon now lives and works in Denmark:

Enjoy a Good Read:
PREKESE GHANAMEDIA AND PAS GHANA RESEARCH TEAM:


Ayi Solomon
Born 1956, Mamprobi/Accra/Ghana. Played percussion in NJO since 1990.

Ayi Solomon was born and raised in Mamprobi, a suburb of Accra. He is a self taught and ambitious musician. In his youth he 'hung around' the apostolic churches, where he eventually started playing side drums and congas for some of the churches. After finishing high school in 1975, Solomon's musical carrier begun.


He played with the following groups: Encounter 9, Boom Talents, Oknam Sounds and Polluted Tears until 1977, where he became a member of a new Band called CLASSIQUE HANDELS. The group became famous in Ghana and the west-coast countries of Africa, such as Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Liberia, etc. in 1979 problems arose between management and musicians and the group was dissolved. Some of the original members remained and the group was renamed CLASSIQUE VIBES. The style had now become reggae and Solomon was managing the drum kit.

In the year 1982, Ayi Solomon came to Copenhagen with the Classique Vibes to participate in the Annual Afro Festival. At the end of the festival he went to Germany with Classique Vibes under a one-year management contract playing in American and German clubs. The following year he returned with the band touring Scandinavia. However, inspired by the new environment and the different musical styles, he decided to stay in Copenhagen after the tour, to work with different musicians in Denmark.

Eventually over the years, Ayi Solomon joined the NEW JUNGLE ORCHESTRA, (in 1990) led by Pierre Dørge, and still working with the NJO, he has now been a member for more than 10 years.

Today he is working and playing with the following groups and musicians: Moussa Diallo, Palle Mikkelborg, Simon Spang Hansen, Dalia Faitelson's Global Sound with Jerry Bergonzi, Randy Brecker, Adam Nussbaum, Chris Cheek, Lelo Nika, & Thommy Anderson. John Sund's Special Venture/ Acoustic Sense -"World/Fusion", Hugo Rasmussen, Susy Hyldgaard, Mikkel Nordsø, Klaus Menzer, Jakob Fischer, Uno Mundo - Latin Reggae, Michel Nielsen's Fulani, Morten Grønvad, Jakob Andersen, John Tchicai, Marian Mursal Somalian singer, Benjamin Koppel, Ed Epstein and others.

To his credit, he has released his debut album entitled "BACK HOME" on cope records in 2003. The majority of the compositions are from Solomons own hand, and besides being featured as a percussionist Solomon also handles the vocals. The music, which is hard to put a label on, can best be described as a fusion between African (modern and roots), jazz, pop, rap, and funk with a spice of electronic additions. On the CD he has a list of fine musicians whom he has worked with and known for many years, namely: Pierre Dørge, John Sund (guitars), Nana Osibio, Thomas Fog (basses), Jacob Mygind, Ed Epstein, (saxes) Morten Carlsen (taragot Bulgarian reed-instrument) Vinie Iuel Kjærsgaard (vocals) Morten Ilsøe (drums) and others.

ADAPTED FROM: NEW JUNGLE ORCHESTRA website DENMARK:

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