In 2015 Rocky Dawuni became the first Ghanaian to be nominated for a GRAMMY Award, for his electrifying sixth album, ‘Branches Of The Same Tree’, in the Best Reggae Album category. Dawuni isn’t strictly a Reggae artist; he encorporates the style into his music, but it’s part of an amalgam of styles, including Afrobeat, Highlife, traditional Ghanaian folk, dancehall, jazz, North American soul, RnB, and electropop. He calls his sound Afro Roots: there’s nothing else quite like it.
Rocky Dawuni has released two singles recently: ‘Wickedest Sound’, with its vibrantly gorgeous clip, and ‘Beats Of Zion’, the title track of his new album, which sees him walking around the streets of Ghana’s capital, Accra.
The first thirty seconds of the video for ‘Wickedest Sound’ leave us in no doubt as to where the clip is was shot. The brightly coloured Ghanaian flag flutters in the breeze over a fishing boat, the red, yellow and green stripes with a black star setting the stage for what is to come. So much gorgeous colour: blues, yellows, reds, and the overwhelming feeling is that life in Ghana is free and relaxed, and beautiful. Dogs, cats, local people, all going about their daily lives, all while Rocky sings his laid back song, accompanied by his band of horn players, guitarists, and drummers, with an ever-growing audience. ‘Wickedest Sound’ also features a guest performance from Stonebwoy, a rising star on the global Reggae scene and the 2015 Ghana Artist Of The Year.
Second track, ‘Beats Of Zion’, is also shot in Accra, and comes with a video of pure celebration. Dazzling cinematography, traditional Ghanaian costumes and dance, and loads of cloudless skies and endless sunshine. It’s an ecstatic celebration of life and conscious music.
Check out more about this magnificent artist online on his official website.
