By John Owoo
(In Accra – Ghana)
Reggae icon Samuel Nukpese Quist alongside an eight-piece band last week turned the warm temperature around the Goethe-Institut into a cool one with captivating rhythms and soulful lyrics.
Performing as part of a live music series dubbed “Kotosa”, the group treated the audience with reggae masterpieces that brought nostalgic feelings before venturing into his Sunlife Reggae compositions, which were complimented by rhythms from a saxophone, trumpet and trombone among others.
A member of erstwhile Roots Anabo, a roots-reggae band formed in 1982 that achieved popularity with magical performances at the 1984 Reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica, Nukpese set the stage ablaze with his charismatic vocals and infectious positivity.
Undeniably, the heartfelt messages and thought-provoking lyrics vibrated deeply with the audience, some of whom sang along with passion and admiration – indeed it was a memorable evening of reggae music.
The stage was electrified through a rather a high-octane performance that had the audience applauding with excitement as tunes from his “Civilization” album including “Blofonyobi”, “Singing in the Name of the Lord”, “Atentenben Dub”, “Hedzole”, “Strange Land” and “Apostolic Jazz” flowed through the night air.
Nukpese effortlessly played the atenteben flute as the three horns men, guitarists and percussionists and others enhanced his reggae sound thereby creating a unique blend that got the audience hooked from the start of the concert to the end.
Ghanaian vocalist Fred Dred opened the show with evergreen reggae classics that echoed equal rights and justice while taking the crowd on a musical journey that brought memories of reggae in the 1960s and its impact on international pop culture.
Nukpese left for Germany in the early 1980s after performing with bands in Ghana and Nigeria. In Germany he played with Highlife legend Pat Thomas as well as a group known as Hypertension, which performed in several venues all over the country.
