King Ayisoba

Born in 1975 under the name Albert Apoozore in Bongo Soe, in northeastern Ghana, and later settled in Accra, King Ayisoba develops music at the junction of the traditions of northern Ghana and more urban approaches. His kologo playing, a two-string lute, and his direct singing form the heart of a style that blends local dance rhythms, Sahelian folk, hiplife, reggae, afrobeat and electronic touches in an aesthetic that is often repetitive, tense and percussive. King Ayisoba emerged widely in Ghana in the mid-2000s with the track I Want To See You, My Father, and then released Modern Ghanaians in 2006, Africa in 2008, Don’t Do The Bad Thing in 2012, Wicked Leaders in 2014, 1000 Can Die in 2017 and Work Hard in 2023. Several of these records were produced or accompanied by Arnold de Boer, with whom King Ayisoba maintains a regular dialogue, while 1000 Can Die also brings together Lee "Scratch" Perry and Orlando Julius. His lyrics frequently draw on Ghanaian proverbs, stories and social realities. On stage, King Ayisoba performs at festivals as well as venues dedicated to adventurous music, with notable appearances at Roskilde, WOMAD or Le Guess Who?, in formats where the raw energy of the kologo takes on a collective dimension.