Via Philophon: "Following a triumphant 70-date touring activity across Europe in 2023 and 2024, including appearances at festivals such as Roskilde, Down The Rabbithole, End of The Road and FMM Sines, Ghanaian Fra Fra soul singer Florence Adooni readies the release of her hotly- anticipated international debut album, A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity) on Philophon.
Produced by longtime collaborator and Philophon Records founder Max Weissenfeldt (Poets of Rhythm), with backing from a young generation of talented highlife musicians from the southern Ghanaian region of Kumasi, A.O.E.I.U. is the joyful culmination of a decade-long working relationship between Florence and Max, the fullest expression of their infectiously optimistic and uniquely ebullient sound.
Across seven tracks, Florence and her groove-forward group journey through a range of propulsive influences. “I’m so proud of this album,” Florence says. “It’s the beautiful culmination of the years I’ve been working with Max and a reflection of the incredible energy we’ve experienced playing this music live all around the world. I can’t wait for people to hear it!”
First encountering Florence’s music over a decade ago while Max was travelling through Ghana and absorbing the West African country’s range of rhythmic sounds, it was the chance discovery of her locally self-released debut Fra Fra gospel record 'Ho Sanga La Pa’aya' (This Is Your Time) that planted the seeds for further collaboration. “I kept playing this one track of Florence’s that had been shared with me by a local record shop owner and the second time I went to his store, I spotted Florence outside selling her music,” Max says. “I approached her and knew immediately that she would be the perfect person to collaborate with on my new label, Philophon.”
Over the next five years, Florence’s powerful falsetto and instinctive melodies became a key component of the Philophon sound, featuring on the label’s releases from Fra Fra group Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, with singer Guy One, and with Finnish saxophonist Jimi Tenor.
Across seven tracks, Florence and her groove-forward group journey through a range of propulsive influences. “I’m so proud of this album,” Florence says. “It’s the beautiful culmination of the years I’ve been working with Max and a reflection of the incredible energy we’ve experienced playing this music live all around the world. I can’t wait for people to hear it!”
First encountering Florence’s music over a decade ago while Max was travelling through Ghana and absorbing the West African country’s range of rhythmic sounds, it was the chance discovery of her locally self-released debut Fra Fra gospel record 'Ho Sanga La Pa’aya' (This Is Your Time) that planted the seeds for further collaboration. “I kept playing this one track of Florence’s that had been shared with me by a local record shop owner and the second time I went to his store, I spotted Florence outside selling her music,” Max says. “I approached her and knew immediately that she would be the perfect person to collaborate with on my new label, Philophon.”
Over the next five years, Florence’s powerful falsetto and instinctive melodies became a key component of the Philophon sound, featuring on the label’s releases from Fra Fra group Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, with singer Guy One, and with Finnish saxophonist Jimi Tenor.
Yet, it wasn’t until Max relocated his Berlin studio to Kumasi in 2019 that their first collaboration with Florence under her own name took shape. “We made a recording together with the two female choir singers of the Sounds of Joy, a classic blend of highlife with Fra Fra singing,” Max says. "Originally it was planned to be released as a merchandise item for the upcoming tour of Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, but as the tour never happened due to the circumstances of 2020, I just put it out under Florence Adooni - and it became an unexpected door opener“.
The response to the track, 'Mam Pe’ela Su’ure' (My Heart is Pure), was overwhelming and soon the infectious sound of Fra Fra and Florence’s joy-filled vocals were to be found on stages across Europe. “That song has given us a platform to play over 70 concerts since, something I could never have imagined,” Florence says. “My band had never left Ghana before but now we have seen the world and we are more united and thrilled than ever before.”
The response to the track, 'Mam Pe’ela Su’ure' (My Heart is Pure), was overwhelming and soon the infectious sound of Fra Fra and Florence’s joy-filled vocals were to be found on stages across Europe. “That song has given us a platform to play over 70 concerts since, something I could never have imagined,” Florence says. “My band had never left Ghana before but now we have seen the world and we are more united and thrilled than ever before.”
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