Dandano: How would you describe your sound in one sentence to a potential fan?
Anbuley: Afrofuturism
Dandano: What is your relationship with Ghana? On your website you mention that you lived here for a short time?
Anbuley: My roots are Ghanaian, they are my roots; without my roots there could be no me. I love them myself because I also love my roots so do I love Ghana! I lived in Ghana from Age 4-9 in my childhood, luckily I was able to get to know my roots early on.
Dandano: What prompted you to want to make music in Ga? It is very interesting how you leverage language in your rhythm which leans heavily towards, disco and dance music.
Anbuley: I spoke Ga fluent as child but now I don’t anymore, Ga has now found a special place in my music. For me the sound of the words are more fitting to the music I make than any other language could, For myself Ga is the most earthy language.
Dandano: Although your lyrics are skeletal, you do use the Ga language and English in a refreshingly poetic way. You also mention that your mother helps you in translation from English to Ga. How does this process go about?
Anbuley: I am fully aware that Ga is not spoken by many anymore, so i use my the sound of my words like they are an instrument, it’s about the sound of the words. I try not to use too much words, cause then I think it could be overwhelming for listeners…
It’s about the sound and the vibes of my words…
The process is:
I write my lyrics in English, I am always writing and making notes, everywhere (except the hooks they are always directly born in Ga). Then when the time comes and I am in the process of voicing new songs, I translate the lyrics I feel are a perfect fit to the song into Ga with my Maa (but also leave some of the lyrics in English after the translation process). After that I record the lyrics on the song at home on my garageband. When i am ready with that, I spend time recording at a Recording Studio.
Dandano: There’s also a consistent presence of Afro-futurism in your work which is riveting, both with the production and lyrics, like on the song Obonu. Does Afrofuturism connect you to Ghana where sound originates from?
Anbuley: For me it feels like taking my roots which are deep within out through creativity. Taking them into the Future with Music, yes it does connect to my Ghanaian Roots.
I do love to work with Henry (DJ HEN BOOGIE) who produces most of my music. He is a perfect match for me, we don’t have to talk too much to understand each other, his tracks are a perfect match to my Soul. We make music out of love to music and out of love to our roots.
Dandano: The Freedom EP is your first body of work for quite a while now. How did it come about?
Anbuley: I do not make music to make money, of course that would be wonderful, it is wonderful if u can live from what you love, but in my case I would have to give up me and go with mainstream music and also stop singing in Ga which would kill my soul, I am not mainstream, I really can’t, I know cause i did try to go a bit more mainstream, I am not walking that path again it nearly killed my soul. I prefer to not do any music before I sell my soul out!
I love creating and doing what am I’m doing. To me that is already success.
But then if u are not mainstream nowadays it is really difficult to find the right labels to release and invest in you.
Dandano: Have you played any music in Ghana? What was the reaction?
Anbuley: No not yet, but i have heard people telling me they heard my songs played in Festivals. I’m hoping next year, I have had requests to perform. It’s time, to do it!
Dandano: Do you plan on releasing an album after this?
Anbuley: No plans one step after the other, it’s better that way I have seen, otherwise I pressure myself too much and then I start making the wrong decisions.
Meanwhile I am happy with releasing EP’s.
Dandano: Your work seems to get remixed by a lot of house and EDM DJs like Auntie Flo, like your song, Supernatural being. Do you seek to target certain demographic when composing your music as you seem to have a very consistent sonic palate.
Anbuley: For myself the original is the most important, but I always love to hear to a remixed track.
Dandano: Is there a single piece of art (film, painting, song) that could perfectly sum up who you are as an artist?
Anbuley: Nope -it’s complicated 🙂
Listen to The Freedom EP below
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Written by Hakeem Adam
Images: Anbuley
DANDANO 