Sauti za Busara interview: Ghanaian band FRA!

The next chapter in their quest for ultimate success begins on 13 February with a Sauti za Busara festival performance at Forodhani Gardens in Stone Town, Zanzibar. The band will also perform at the Main Stage on 16 February.

"We are so excited to perform at Sauti Za Busara," FRA!'s George Ashirifie Gogoe told Music In Africa. "Our friend Kyekyeku played at the 2017 edition and he told us about it. We feel so blessed to be selected because we have been applying to perform there since the last two editions.

"We think of music just like when preparing food. We feed the crowd with what we come up with, and when they respond positively, it tells us that we are going in the right direction.”

The Accra-based FRA! was formed in 2015 and comprises Benjamin Ashong (vocals), Emmanuel Selorm Dornyoh (guitar), Joshua Boateng (drums), Ismael Kugblenu (percussion), Martin Adjartey (keys) and George Ashirifie Gogoe (bass).

"The name FRA! means 'mix'. We chose that name because each member of the band is influenced by a different genre of music," Gogoe said. "We have a guitarist who has a rock music background, hence the hard distortion and heavy metal sound in our music, a bass player influenced by funk, a drummer deeply rooted in Afrobeat and highlife, and a keyboardist who loves pop. So when composing our music, we add elements of all these styles."

FRA! has a knack for translating this mixture of styles live without confusing the band's sound. This was most evident when the band showcased its diverse  take on music at the ACCES conference in Accra in late 2019. FRA! became an instant favourite with the hundreds of international delegates at the music conference and Gogoe hopes good things will come out of the ACCES experience.

“We had a great time performing in front of all the industry people and through that we got some excellent opportunities in the near future," Gogoe said.

Kenyan music producer and author Tabu Osusa was among the delegates who watched the band at ACCES. He says FRA! delivered an electrifying showcase combining history, tradition and identity fused with a uniquely modern sound. 

"Theirs was a performance to remember. These boys are going to be big. They took me back to the days of Osibisa," Osusa said, referring to the London-based African diaspora band that was formed in 1969 and became a worldwide sensation.

"FRA! are young and conscious of their culture," Osusa added. "The world should watch out for them. They are also good role models for their peers in the region. If they continue with the same trend, they will burst onto the global scene just like their big brothers from Zimbabwe, Mokoomba.”

And Gogoe is very much aware of the canvas that Osibisa left for younger African musicians to fill.

"Osibisa is one of the greatest bands to ever emerge from the continent," Gogoe said. "We like the fact that they were able to create a unique sound that enabled them to break into the pop and world music charts and onto stages all over the world. They even had a hit song in India!"

FRA! is also influenced by Ghanaian highlife legend Ebo Taylor and Nigerian Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti. 

"Ebo Taylor pioneered a unique style, which had exciting progressions and horn arrangements. His music is balanced between Afrobeat and jazz. Fela inspires us because of how he was able to use the message in his music to address issues in society,” Gogoe said.

But being an Afro-fusion musician in the Afrobeats era is not easy and Gogoe believes that one has to be realistic about the hurdles that come with wanting to play non-mainstream music. 

“Our type of music is not popular. We don't do the kinds of commercial music that sells in Ghana. So when we first started, it was a problem to get our songs on the radio and TV. But after some time, we gradually started building a fan base in Ghana and outside Ghana. Funding has always been a problem, especially coming from this part of the world. I also think the government should set up initiatives to support bands, art and culture," he said.

So what advice does FRA! have for younger musicians? “Music in Ghana has seen a decline in authenticity over the years. The musicianship has somewhat suffered in the hands of technology. We urge younger bands to focus more on the music of local origin,” Gogoe said, adding that a new FRA! album is planned for release in September 2020.