Contingency Plan: Ghana's Camidoh finds new Afropop route

6 Jul 2020 - 23:00

With Contingency Plan, his debut collection, Ghanaian singer Camidoh has put the music scene on notice: he’s next up.

Camidoh represents a new frontier for Afropop.

‘For My Lover’, the 2018 record that shot him to mainstream bloom in his home country, was predictive of his future among the best. A steady string of singles and covers that followed the song have been impressive, justifying his value to pop in Ghana. If doubt lingers two years after his first radio hit, the recently released six–track EP promptly puts it to rest.

The project arrives as a resoundingly original interpretation of the sounds that make up Afropop – which nowadays encompasses everything from highlife to soul. It is an arresting sonic take on themes that beset a young man who has come into full awareness of his gifts and the forces that constitute his obstacles.

Due to the porous nature of the African music industry, which often leads to an uncertain future for many, the emerging African creative is almost always advised to venture into the terrain with a contingency plan. What is Camidoh’s? This EP, of course.

The songs on Contingency Plan are tenable to dance. That said, because of a smoothly emotive vibe that shores them up, it allows for Camidoh’s vocal lustre, his most unique selling point, to take centre stage. Thus, whether he is unknotting his own vulnerability on ‘How Did You’, celebrating mutual affection on ‘Maria', or preaching resilience with ‘Find Me', a passion-filled vocal performance takes the reins and steers the rest of the music.

Camidoh’s Afropop contribution is so resourceful, so comprehensive, that it makes it near impossible to pin a single identity on him. Sure, he hails from West Africa, the part of the continent that currently dictates Afrobeats. It is also where his sound is largely set. But that’s where it ends. On only his first try, Camidoh achieves success unifying the aural features that uniquely characterise Ghana and Nigeria.

Even among the big names, it is difficult to single out an artist who achieves this as well as Camidoh. Mr Eazi, who's had the benefit of socialisation in both countries, might be one such artist; ‘Bankulize’ and ‘Tilapia' are instant examples from a catalogue that overflows with songs drawing from the nations in question. Runtown’s ‘Mad Over You' and Wizkid’s ‘Azonto' attempt this, too. For that to work, however, the Nigerians have to literally name Ghana and specific Ghanaian references in their songs. Ghanaian acts looking to cross over have to consider modifying their diction and elocution, too.

In all this, Camidoh has proven to be a better style bender than his seniors: reinventing melodic tendencies in real-time, and amplifying this sonic interflow. This harmonious enmeshment is probably Camidoh’s most inventive contribution to Afropop and/or Afrobeats. Whereas the entire Contingency Plan illustrates an adaptable attribute about Camidoh, ‘Hot Pursuit,’ track two of the EP, is the most obvious moment to support this argument. On that tune, Camidoh waxes in three tongues: English, Pidgin and his native Ewe.

Considering how competitive the Afrobeats scene has become as it amasses growing global appeal, the one viable hack is innovation. By all means, fuse and stand out. Camidoh got that memo.

Stream Contingency Plan here.