PAT THOMAS & KWASHIBU AREA BAND – OBIAA!

The modern-day leaders of Ghanaian highlife music are back!

Strut is proud to announce Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band’s sophomore release
‘Obiaa!’, released on 20th September 2019. The album, produced again by Kwame
Yeboah and Ben Abarbanel-Wolff at Lovelite Studio’s analogue HQ in Berlin, is a deep and
soulful journey into the heart of Ghana’s indigenous highlife music celebrating the timeless
and iconic voice of Pat Thomas, the 72 year-old “Golden Voice of Africa”.

The new album is called ‘Obiaa!’ which means ‘Everybody!’. Tracks include the modern
parables ‘Onfa Nkosi Hwee’ warning against arrogance and ‘Odo Ankasa’ about the value
of real love and trust as well as a great new cover of Thomas’ Afro-disco favourite
‘Yamona’. “Playing highlife around the world taught us what we had to do to move our
sound forward,” continues Ben. While simultaneously looking back towards the classic
days of highlife and forward to a modern revival of the guitar band sound, this album puts
Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band exactly where they belong: at the front, dancing with
everybody.

‘Obiaa!’ is released on all formats on 20th September. The album features exclusive cover
artwork by Lewis Heriz and photos by Luis Mora and is mastered by Édouard Bonan at
Ed-Room Studio in Paris.