FOKN Bois draw on highlife influences for third album

The group, made up of Wanlov the Kubolor (Emmanuel Owusu Bonsu) and M3nsa (Mensah Ansah), released its first album Fokn Dunaquest in Budapest in 2011. A follow-up, Fokn Wit Ewe came out the following year. The forthcoming album is titled Fokn Ode to Ghana. Suggesting a wide variety of influences, the band's new album is subtitled are "A Fokn tribute to highlife, hip-hop and Afro-jazz music from Ghana."

The upcoming album sees Fokn Bois sampling highlife music from the 1970s and 1980s. According to an official statement, “The 21-track album is a satirical commentary on the current global social, political, economic, racial and religious happenings. The duo brings to bare their magical skills of narration amidst sarcasm and metaphors on this new album.”

The FOKN Bois are well-known for incorporating thought-provoking satiricallyrics into their music. Their approach to addressing socio-political, economic and religious issues in their music is unconventional, and has since found an audience around the world. FOKN Bois have performed all over the world, including at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, the Moers International Jazz Festival and the CTM Festival in Germany, and the Sabolai Radio Music Festival in Ghana. They are set to perform in Amsterdam in The Netherlands for the Citizens of Alkebulan festival on Sunday 10 July.

A musical in pidgin English by the duo, Coz Ov Moni 1 and 2, was shown at several film festivals, including the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa; the Rio International Film Festival in Brazil; the Pan-African Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA; the Black Filmmakers International Film Festival in London, UK; the Pan-African Film Festival in Cannes, France; and was the headliner movie at the African Weekender in Sussex, UK.

To launch the album, FOKN Bois is collaborating with Yoyo Tinz, an organisation documenting and promoting hip-hop in Ghana. Fokn Ode to Ghana will be released on the Yoyo Tinz website on Thursday 30 June. For more information email yoyotinzgh@gmail.com.