Maurice Maiga and Amore Cultural Group – Mugun Fata

“Hausa folkloric highlife” from northern Ghana. This cassette—like this and this—was produced and engineered by Blessed Gregory, currently a central figure in this music that weds northern Ghanaian musical sensibilities (references to Islam; extensive use of the dondo or “talking drum”) with mainstream highlife and neo-folk gome rhythms (like what you hear on the Allan Family cassettes).

Called simpa music, it’s been around for ages and has always simultaneously drawn inspiration from social issues important to Northerners and the popular sounds coming from Ghana’s coastal south. Noted ethnomusicologist and all-around incredible person John Collins has written on it a bit.

It was my pal Wills who supplied this tape. When I saw it in his collection I had to borrow/share…

*—don’t miss

Side A
Amore
Mugun Fata *
Karen Dawure

Side B
Ana ce Shashashai *
Hanu New Maka
Ni Da Yariga
Amuni Na