Search - Osei Tutu :: Awakening

Heavy-handed electric pop from Africa is what's in store for the listener of Awakening, by Ghanaian highlife artist Osei Tutu. Drum kit and bass for the rhythm, accented by synths and synth drums, are the core for a band of fuzzy electric guitars and R&B-inspired horns. This is pure '90s highlife--slick, high tech, and rooted as much in American pop as in earlier West African music, flawlessly played but lacking in anything to distinguish it from all the other '90s-style pop highlife and smooth-jazz crossovers that come out of the studios of Africa, Europe, and the United States every month. Tutu has a solid but not outstanding singing voice; the band is tight and well mannered, secure in the knowledge that they know all the licks by heart. The lyrics call for an end to poverty, for women to be loyal to their men, for you to come and dance and party. If you don't already own an African pop party album, this one is as good as any, but there's little to make it stand out from dozens of others. --Louis Gibson