Ghana’s Efya quietly fuelling pop renaissance

23 Aug 2023 - 10:53

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

In Ghana, along with Afrobeats’ steady splash, is highlife’s curious rebirth, or at the very least, the return of live instruments, which routinely mark the sound. The country’s popstars today share an unspoken view: the sound can no longer remain a peripheral genre.

Efya.

Efya, an anchoring local female force for more than a decade, and part of a contingent of Ghanaian acts recently joining global distro ONErpm following the company’s expansion to the territory in June, may quietly be fuelling this renaissance.

Following a significant hiatus, her 2023 offerings ‘Super Super’ and ‘Jara Jara’, released in May and August, respectively, show why this stratagem matters. The first goes into her folder of feminist anthems. The second, whose name borrows from the Hausa term for ‘supplemental’, combines flirtation and caution, capturing the impact of romantic love on its author, whose vocals and witty lyrics rock elegantly from warm to dragon fierceness.

There’s a clever use of repeated words in her recent titles, possibly with deeper motives that this reviewer believes to have hacked. The tracks provide a twofold solution to the task of modernisation while upholding foundational elements. Let me explain: While boasting groovy pop recency that appeals to younger audiences, the songs allude to primal highlife, renowned for its adept melodies and intricate instrumental craftsmanship, mainly across luscious percussions, smooth strings and chords, and ringing horns. Older ears are sorted, too.

Efya told a local TV station that her new singles offer a glimpse into three upcoming releases – two EPs and an album by April next year. Could have fooled me. Her track record suggests that announced projects might not adhere to expected timelines or even materialise.

With just two solo studio LPs to date, she sometimes gets a bad rap for a slim discography – and basically appearing up and disappearing at will – so that, despite being a sweetheart of Ghanaian pop for so long, she is often relegated within Afrobeats’ shadows. Still, her recent releases not only showcase a sweet return to basics but offer yet another opportunity to examine her inventive flair, which will prove profitable in the long run.