King Ayisoba

Traditional kologo music from the Upper East Region of Ghana brought with the energy and flavor of the ‘Modern Ghanaian’ dance scene. King Ayisoba sings in Frafra, Twi and in English, jumping from his low, guttural growl to moments of piercingly high interjection. He plays the kologo, a two-string guitar with a calabash gourd resonator that allows skilled players to double up hard rhythms with twirling melodic refrains.

Ayisoba learned how to play the kologo from his grandfather, becoming a musical child prodigy throughout the Bolgatanga area thanks to a steady stream of gigs at weddings, funerals and festivals. After moving to Accra and working with late Hiplife star Terry Bon Chaka, King Ayisoba released ‘Modern Ghanaians’, followed by ‘Africa’, becoming a big star in the process. Championed from early on in Europe by Arnold DeBoer (aka Zea) from legendary punk band The Ex, Ayisoba went on to release a collection of songs on DeBoer’s Makkum records.