Ato To Ghana Fundraising Gig

AKWAABA!

Please come and support Ato on his journey getting back to Ghana!

Ato Kwamena is a composer and a percussionist from the Cape Coast in Ghana.
Inspired by West African highlife music, he has performed with numerous Aotearoa groups, including Culture Embassy, Orchestra of Spheres, ISKRA and Lord Echo.

Ato's mum recently passed away and we're fundraising money for a flight back home, so he can be with his family.

RAS JUDAH AND THE CULTURE EMBASSY

a 10-piece NZ band of varying cultural backgrounds, hence the name.
The cultural diversity of the band is reflected in the sound of the music
a fusion of African styles, Reggae/Ska, Jazz and Afro-Latin rhythms.

We describe our sound as Afrocentric-World Music as much of what we play is based on African rhythms and songs, which is where our lead-singer ‘Ras Judah’ and two of our master drummers come from (Botswana, Ghana and Tanzania respectively), plus Roots Reggae. Though everyone contributes their own culturally inspired sound, with other band members from Cuba, England and Japan, and others with Greek, Kiwiana and jazz backgrounds. Not just a musical treat representing many parts of the world, but also a visual one; a carnival of ethnic diversity and collaboration on stage!

ISKRA

Iskra are an otherworldly quartet heralding from Te Whanganui-a-Tara formed by saxophonist Josh Buckler and featuring Simon Grove (Niko Ne Zna) on helicon, Ato Kwamena (Culture Embassy) on percussion and David McGurk (Planet Hunter) on drums.

Inspired by the likes of Sons of Kemet and the London jazz scene, they bring driving grooves, soaring melodies and the fire of afro-beat, Balkan music and a style that is best described as brass-house. Think dance party at the end of the world, when the last lights have gone out