Ofori Amponsah's latest album 'Samson and Delilah' ascertains that the highlife cum hiplife virtuoso is back with the panache of artists that music legends are made of. With an arsenal of diverse music styles and vocal ranges, in tandem with the ability to make up amazing melodic phrases, Ofori, with every album release, distinguishes and separates him from the rest of the field.
This current album no doubt is his best yet.
Since the maiden "Wo ho Nkyere" album on which he joined forces with Daddy Lumba, Ofori's music tributary has generated great Ghanaian musicians such as Kofi B, Kofi Nti, Barovsky, Batman Samini and many others. His selfless ability to team up with other artists makes him one of the few artists that are willing to share a stage or a song with his colleagues. 'Just like Daddy Lumba gave me the chance, I will also reciprocate,' Ofori always says. On this current release, Ofori culls from the most important rudimentary principles of highlife music. Keep it simple and melodic, have a story to tell and use a live band. Computer-generated music is in but authentic live instrumentation still rules. Thirteen-track strong, this album brings to the listener a variety of tunes for every music fan.
For the dancer, put on your dancing shoes. The beginning track 'Samson & Delilah' that bears the name of the album attacks the dancer from the onset. With excellent vocals, powered by the guest crooning of Voltage, this track will leave you breathless. He follows up immediately with another high beat
Aliyah, 'on which his protege Kofi Nti, with his much improved vocal skills demonstrates that hanging out with the 'master' definitely has its rewards. One track after the other, Ofori relentlessly unleashes into undiscovered terrains of the highlife genre with new authentic indigenous vocal scales unlike any artists before and after him.. For the reggae lovers, track four
Ireneâ brings back memories of the heydays of reggae when geniuses Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Johnny Nash ruled the world with their persistent and syncopated riffs and danceable rhythms.
The melancholic and intimate highlife listener needs not to reach far. Be wary of stupid friends for an intelligent enemy may be better, track 12 wails. Ofori intones 'Oyonkoo' with artistic arrangements reminiscent of the pioneers of highlife music masters Master Akwaboah, K. Gyasi and Yamoah among others whose music defined a period and generations. The new ‘Damaabi’ remix, track no six; one of Ofori's all time favorites also ingests its ingenuity onto this album with some unbelievable twists and turns that make the old version semi-obsolete.
For the woman-trapper who wishes to serenade and frolic with his new hitch, track nine, 'Sexy, Sexy' featuring Chicago rapper Cell-fis homes in the catch. With its Caribbean, hiplife-flavored approach, the song begins with the rapping of the smooth-laced baritone voice of Cell-fis whose precise timing, delivery and style is in a class by itself. Ofori hopes to make 'Sexy, Sexy'
his crossover-hit breakthrough in the international arena. To listen to the brand new song or to see the video for this wonderful collaboration between Ofori Amponsah and Chicago rapper Cell-fis, please log on to or cut and paste _www.youtube.com/cellfis_ (http://www.youtube.com/cellfis) in your browser.
