The second of Alhaji K. Frimpong’s two self-titled albums released during Ghana’s musical renaissance of the 1970s, this 1977 opus stands as a triumphant sequel to the record that first propelled him and his group to national fame. Backed by the formidable Vis-A-Vis band—here operating under the alias Cubano Fiestas—Frimpong delivers a deep, sinuous fusion of Ghanaian Highlife, American funk, and Afrobeat influences, producing a sound that is at once timeless and electrifying.
Sometimes referred to as The Black Album for its striking cover, this LP pushes further into experimental territory. The infectious “Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena” brings sharp electronic touches and razor-tight grooves, while the undeniable centerpiece lies on the flip side: the hypnotic “Adam Nana.” Stretching to over 15 minutes, the track unfolds with languid, evolving guitar lines, funk clavinet stabs, ghostly vocal refrains, and off-world percussion. The result is a sprawling Afro-psychedelic jam that rivals contemporaneous jazz-funk experiments coming out of the U.S. and Nigeria.
Though celebrated within Ghana upon its release, the album was never distributed internationally, making original copies exceedingly scarce. Tattered first pressings are known to fetch hundreds of dollars among collectors. A limited reissue surfaced briefly in 2011, only to vanish again, with even those copies now commanding premium prices on the second-hand market.
More than four decades on, K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas remains a landmark in West African music—a record that captures a moment of boundary-pushing creativity, fusing the deep roots of Highlife with a forward-thinking global vision. A true Ghanaian masterpiece. -Soundway
Donal Dineen's Sunken Treasure: K Frimpong and his Cubano Fiestas
Highlife originated in Ghana at the turn of the 20th century, a merger of the melodic, rhythmic structures of traditional Akan music with western instruments
Generally I shy away from putting music into boxes but for highlife I’m happy to make an exception. In the chart of appropriately named genres of music it’s permanently perched at number one. As James Brown so pointedly said: It is what it is.
Highlife originated in Ghana at the turn of the 20th century, a merger of the melodic, rhythmic structures of traditional Akan music with western instruments.
The other significant factor was the dance. Wherever highlife was played there was a whole lot of shaking going on. The music and the dance were inseparable. The uptempo rhythms simply begat bodily movement.
Influences from other regions, countries and continents were absorbed. The 1960s version was characterised by jazzy horns and arpeggiated multiple electric guitar lines.
In 1971, a seismic musical event was held in Accra that sent tremors through Ghanaian highlife. The Soul to Soul festival featured earth moving performances from The Staple Singers, Ike & Tina Turner and Wilson Pickett. Added to the local fires was some highly flammable funky gasoline. All bets were off.
K Frimpong started making music on the crest of a wave set off by these reverberations. His sound bristled with soul power. The insistent tone in his magically quivering voice heralded a new age of adventures in highlife.
Organ stabs borrowed from Jamaican music punctuated the beat, adding warmth and weight to the rhythm. The dusty grooves plunged deeper still. Choruses of voices harmonised their way to the heavens. In Frimpong’s hands, highlife took flight. This 1976 album encapsulates the magic. To hear it and sit still would be some feat. Wherever it’s going, let it take you there.
Label: Secret Stash Records – SSR-CD-29
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Digipak
Country: US
Released: 2013 / 2025 Soundway Records
Style: Highlife, Afrobeat
The 2025 edition is identical to the 2013 edition.
1. Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena 7:58
2. Asase Si Yo 5:48
3. Awisia 5:28
4. Adam Nana 14:00
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