Ghana’s Santrofi announces debut US tour

The seven-city, month-long tour will commence in Alexandria, Virginia, on 1 March and conclude in Seattle, Washington, on 30 March. 

While on tour, the band will showcase songs from their repertoire, featuring tracks from their well-received 2020 debut album Alewa, which peaked at No 1 on the World Music Charts Europe the same year, and 2023’s Deep Into Highlife, its collaborative effort with Berlin-based 14-piece brass band Omniversal Earkestra.

The brainchild of bassist and producer Emmanuel Ofori, the band, which aims to craft contemporary narratives rooted in Ghanaian highlife traditions, draws from the dance-guitar highlife of the 1970s, infusing elements of funk and incorporating polyrhythmic beats and Afrobeat melodies.

Since 2019, the band, signed to Outhere Records, has maintained an intense touring schedule, gracing major festivals across Europe and sharing platforms with renowned musical talents such as Erykah Badu, Ziggy Marley, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, Justin Bieber and Macy Gray, among others. 

In an October interview with Accra-based Joy 99.7 FM, Ofori expressed his disappointment regarding the limited support for highlife music in Ghana. He noted that due to this, the band tends to prioritise performances elsewhere.

“If I play in my own country and I’m gonna have just three people dancing, and I play in someone’s country and I have everyone else dancing, I would like to play there,” he said.

Santrofi US 2024 tour dates:

• 1 March: Alexandria, VA
• 3 March: Brooklyn, NY
• 8 March: Columbus, OH
• 10 March; Dallas, TX
• 15 March: Worcester, MA
• 23 March: Newark, NJ
• 30 March: Seattle, WA