Kalba by Isaac Birituro & The Rail Abandon - Wah Wah 45s [WAHCD036]

Kalba

Isaac Birituro & The Rail Abandon

A 10 track highlife album (40m 18s) — released November 29th 2019 on Wah Wah 45s

#world #highlife

Wah Wah 45s are very proud to announce the release of Kalba, the first album from Ghanaian xylophone master Isaac Birituro and Leeds-based producer and singer-songwriter Sonny Johns AKA The Rail Abandon.

The boundary crossing duo were introduced to the world via the first two singles released in early 2019, Yesu Yan Yan and Für Svenja, and the reactions to the project have been overwhelmingly warm.

There are many differences between Isaac and Sonny, but a powerful similarity - which gives Kalba its element of relatability - is that desire to hear the usual done unusually and play with the shared influence of the music from afar. Named after the town in North Ghana where Isaac resides, the album is a combination of differences; a magnifying glass over the Venn diagram of our lives, the unfathomable meeting of parallel lines.

"It was clear to me that, though he played a traditional instrument in a traditional way, Isaac was influenced by the Western tinged music that filled the streets of Accra - in fact his father, Edmund, introduced him with "He plays the modern way!" Partly dismissive, mostly proud," said Sonny. "And as this Viking sat before him played the guitar, it sounded too much like the stringed instruments of Mali for it to be just a coincidence."

There are so many stories behind each track on this album, but the common denominators are clearly the importance of community, of preserving and presenting local cultures, the ardent desire to contribute to changing the world around us, and, of course, the love and power of music created from a genuine place.

This is special... Earlier this year, this came out. I love it! - Gilles Peterson BBC 6Music

It’s lovely that. - Shaun Keaveny BBC 6Music

That's making us very happy... Nice! - Huw Stephens BBC 6Music

Wonderful album. - John Kennedy Radio X

Love it! - Mari Kimura Worldwide FM

A wonderful package of real music - Jurgen Drimal Superfly FM

Deep folk inspirational album! - Aurelio Rinse FM

Oh this is fantastic! - Tim Tummy Touch Legend

Gorgeous! - Nemone BBC 6Music

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