Ayijah
Genres: World, Music, Singer/Songwriter
Released: Apr 18, 2008
℗ 2008 Melmuse
BUY on iTunes
After a five year stint in the jingle business John Meldrum felt the urge to go the opposite direction. “I grew tired of the relentlessness of advertising music, so I left America in search of something else, a different way to live.”
He fell in love with the City of Lights, and his life was never the same. There he started working playing Highlife music with Freduia Ageymang, a superb Ghanaian drummer and songwriter whom he played rhythm guitar and sang for 5 years.
Ayijah refers to a town near Kumasi in Ghana, a trip that had a huge impact on John Meldrum's music. “Music in Africa is not a commodity, it’s a daily way of life” says the composer. Upon returning to Paris, John Meldrum put together his group, Zongo Ambassadors and recorded Ayijah, which ranges from Highlife to pop and gospel all distilled through the craft of a singer-songwriter. The Zongo group, featuring Lisa E. Arscott and Hortense Rabarivelo, toured France, The U.K. and Switzerland; one of the highlights was singing his song, “Brother,Brother” with 650 children from 27 countries at UNESCO in Paris. Along the way, John Meldrum was lucky enough to meet Carlos Santana, Salif Keita, Max Roach, Jacques Higelin, Jean-Philippe Rykiel and Nana Danso.
- Brother, Brother – 4:16
- Nothing New – 3:55
- Talk to the Angels – 4:19
- Peace Freedom Justice – 5:01
- Down to the River – 5:05
- Searchlight – 5:24
- We Don't Know – 7:26
- Tamalé – 3:46
- God Come to Me – 6:30
- I Never Be – 3:38
- Faith – 5:25
- Yé Yé Nipa – 4:44
- Highlife Heaven – 3:04