Life has never been easy, so keep moving, “ is the opening line of Making Moves, the title song of SANTROFI‘s new album. Four years ago, their celebrated debut‚ Alewa, introduced this 8-piece, Highlife collective powerhouse from Accra to the world.
After five solid years on the road, SANTROFI is now ready to release some fresh material. Co-produced and mixed by four-time Grammy Award winner Jerry Boys (REM, Ali Farka Toure, Buena Vista Social Club, Orchestra Baobab, Kronos Quartet). The band has continued an intense tour schedule, with 2024 seeing their first shows in the USA and a Japan tour with 13 sold-out shows in 2024.
Making moves is both a celebration of SANTROFI’s roots and a leap into the future of Highlife. The opening track, Amina, is a Ghanaian childhood game turned Highlife Funk. It draws from the past, pushing it into the future. The title song, Making Moves, sees Santrofi team up with the current booming act on the Afrobeat scene in Ghana, featuring Ghana’s Newcomers Kofi Jamar and Arathejay. The song talks about trying to survive on the sometimes crazy streets of Accra without losing your mind. Su Nkwa sees Santrofi celebrating their love for typical Sikji Highlife music. And the nostalgic No Money, No Honey sums up yet another common truth from the streets of Accra. From the opening Highlife funk of Amina to the Ghanaian childhood game-turned-boogie-banger Gyae Me How, this record will get you dancing.
Led by producer-bassist Kojo Ofori, SANTROFI unites 8 of Accra’s most gifted musicians with a passion for vintage highlife grooves and a hip-hop sensibility. The band members have played with leading Ghanaian artists, including Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Ambolley, AK Yeboah and highlife pioneer AB Crentsil, with whom they recorded just before he passed – watch out for that!
SANTROFI have shared stage and studio with rising stars of Ghana’s vibrant urban music scene, such as Kidi, Yaw Tog, Black Sherif, AratheJay and even Nigerian superstar Wizkid (who has made Accra his second home). The upcoming album sees the band teaming up with some of the most exciting talents in Ghana, such as AratheJay and Kofi Jamar.
If you think playing a funk groove (or even drill) over a pulsing Highlife clave is impossible, SANTROFI will prove you wrong. Listen to the phrasing of SANTROFI‘s horn section and hear the Highlife clave running through every bar of their music. Santrofi is pushing Ghana’s Highlifegrooves into the future without losing its sweet soul. And don’t forget to come and see them making moves in your city.
Free Download – No Money, No Honey
| Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love, so Santrofi wants to make it extra special. Their new album “Making Moves” arrives this Friday, and as a special gift, they are giving you a free download of “No Money, No Honey“. This track playfully explores how finances can influence modern relationships without losing sight of what really matters. Enjoy this nostalgic Highlife track and get ready for the full album release this Friday, Valentine’s Day. |
