Kojo Damptey's second album Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance is inspired by the life of Amilcar Cabral, the revolutionary poet-diplomat who's efforts deeply impacted West Africa before he was assassinated in 1973.
If you've never heard of Cabral, you're not alone. Though Cabral successfully fought for Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde's independence from Portugal, he's little known in the western world. Damptey hopes to illuminate figures like Cabral on Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance.
"The album is inspired by what I call 'giants,'" says Damptey, who’s currently based in Hamilton, Ontario. "These are various individuals who have done work that nobody knows about. Cabral's a quintessential example of that idea. For people of colour especially, we have all of these giants that we ourselves don't even know about because we're busy learning about what western society wants us to know.
"These giants have been in existence, they've been around, they've been rebelling and fighting the things that stopped them from reaching their full potential. And we need to take up that mantle and continue to resist and maybe that'll lead us to a better future. That's the whole concept of the record."
Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance combines this personal and political into 13 vital songs that confront the centuries-long impact colonization has had on people of colour around the world. Started in 2014, the album was composed while Damptey traveled between Canada and Ghana completing his master’s degree. While conceptually it all sounds quite serious and heady, the music of Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance is vibrant and hopeful. It's insurgent music that's just as at home on the dance floor as it is at the protest.
It's no wonder, then, that Damptey lists like Fela Kuti, Ebo Taylor, The Roots, Gill-Scott Heron and Nina Simone as foundational influences. Damptey's music dizzyingly shimmies through genres these musical giants mastered, from hip-hop to highlife music to soul, jazz and funk. Fused together, he calls this sound Afro-Soul.
First single "Giants," featuring Nasr Beny, is a swaying, uplifting showcase for all of these things. "It tries to tie in what Indigenous communities are experiencing. It tries to tie in Black Lives Matter. It also asks, 'What is freedom? How is that tied to economic consumption? How is that tied to justice?' I think the song tries to delve into deep topics," says Damptey.
"When you look back through history you realize some of the stuff they were dealing with 100 years, 500 years ago is the same stuff we're dealing with, so it's also meant to spark a reaction and say, 'What can we do?'"
The song "Home (Y3n Ko Fie)," featuring Lady Jay, provokes a far more complex set of questions. A fiery contemplation of racism and immigration, Damptey uses the song to ask if immigrants should, in fact, go back to where they came from. If only to try bettering their homeland.
"It’s about saying maybe we should not look to the outside world to create that perfect society," says Damptey. "Maybe we should stay home and create that dream, and that dream should benefit everybody, so we can all call that dream 'home.'"
These stories, along with tracks like "If I Should Tell U," "Life" and "Democrazy" ably support Damptey's themes of resilience and resistance. They'd also fit seamlessly into a playlist featuring the likes of Janelle Monáe, Amadou & Mariam or Akua Naru.
Damptey assembled a cast of guest talent from literally around the world to create Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance. Whether it's co-conspirator and Hamiltonian Chris Bruder, fellow Ghanaian musicians Lady Jay, Mutombo da Poet and Wanlov the Kubolor, Chukky, a Nigerian, Syrian-born rapper Mother Tareka, hip-hop group Canadian Winter, Nasr Beny or Emily Kemp, they all shine on the album.
"They all have a story about how colonization has affected their own communities," says Damptey. "Whether it’s Kimmortal from the Philippines, now based in Vancouver, whether it’s Mother Tareka, whether it’s Canadian Winter, whether it’s Lady Jay… I think that’s what ties everyone together. It’s different experiences to colonization. It makes them a perfect fit because we’re also trying to demystify the idea that because people are different they should be fearful of that person."
Damptey's live show certainly goes a long way to erasing these differences. Having shared stages with the likes of Femi Kuti and Souljazz Orchestra, Damptey touches both mind and body with his sets.
"I make music that’s danceable, that’s groovy," says Damptey. "The point is just to once you’re dancing you hopefully recite the words and they sink down your brain and might spark something. My live shows are meant to be fun, but at the same time we’re giving them a dose of information."
For Damptey, it's all about trying to make the world a better place. Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance is his soundtrack.
"What I’m trying to do is put out music that asks people to become better and challenges systems of oppression and challenges norms," says Damptey. "That’s what I’m hoping it’ll do because we can’t depend on politics, we can’t depend on leaders, we can’t depend on systems. Those things have failed us. But one thing we can depend on is people’s inspiration and people’s emotion, so the record is supposed to spark that emotion."
If you've never heard of Cabral, you're not alone. Though Cabral successfully fought for Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde's independence from Portugal, he's little known in the western world. Damptey hopes to illuminate figures like Cabral on Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance.
"The album is inspired by what I call 'giants,'" says Damptey, who’s currently based in Hamilton, Ontario. "These are various individuals who have done work that nobody knows about. Cabral's a quintessential example of that idea. For people of colour especially, we have all of these giants that we ourselves don't even know about because we're busy learning about what western society wants us to know.
"These giants have been in existence, they've been around, they've been rebelling and fighting the things that stopped them from reaching their full potential. And we need to take up that mantle and continue to resist and maybe that'll lead us to a better future. That's the whole concept of the record."
Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance combines this personal and political into 13 vital songs that confront the centuries-long impact colonization has had on people of colour around the world. Started in 2014, the album was composed while Damptey traveled between Canada and Ghana completing his master’s degree. While conceptually it all sounds quite serious and heady, the music of Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance is vibrant and hopeful. It's insurgent music that's just as at home on the dance floor as it is at the protest.
It's no wonder, then, that Damptey lists like Fela Kuti, Ebo Taylor, The Roots, Gill-Scott Heron and Nina Simone as foundational influences. Damptey's music dizzyingly shimmies through genres these musical giants mastered, from hip-hop to highlife music to soul, jazz and funk. Fused together, he calls this sound Afro-Soul.
First single "Giants," featuring Nasr Beny, is a swaying, uplifting showcase for all of these things. "It tries to tie in what Indigenous communities are experiencing. It tries to tie in Black Lives Matter. It also asks, 'What is freedom? How is that tied to economic consumption? How is that tied to justice?' I think the song tries to delve into deep topics," says Damptey.
"When you look back through history you realize some of the stuff they were dealing with 100 years, 500 years ago is the same stuff we're dealing with, so it's also meant to spark a reaction and say, 'What can we do?'"
The song "Home (Y3n Ko Fie)," featuring Lady Jay, provokes a far more complex set of questions. A fiery contemplation of racism and immigration, Damptey uses the song to ask if immigrants should, in fact, go back to where they came from. If only to try bettering their homeland.
"It’s about saying maybe we should not look to the outside world to create that perfect society," says Damptey. "Maybe we should stay home and create that dream, and that dream should benefit everybody, so we can all call that dream 'home.'"
These stories, along with tracks like "If I Should Tell U," "Life" and "Democrazy" ably support Damptey's themes of resilience and resistance. They'd also fit seamlessly into a playlist featuring the likes of Janelle Monáe, Amadou & Mariam or Akua Naru.
Damptey assembled a cast of guest talent from literally around the world to create Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance. Whether it's co-conspirator and Hamiltonian Chris Bruder, fellow Ghanaian musicians Lady Jay, Mutombo da Poet and Wanlov the Kubolor, Chukky, a Nigerian, Syrian-born rapper Mother Tareka, hip-hop group Canadian Winter, Nasr Beny or Emily Kemp, they all shine on the album.
"They all have a story about how colonization has affected their own communities," says Damptey. "Whether it’s Kimmortal from the Philippines, now based in Vancouver, whether it’s Mother Tareka, whether it’s Canadian Winter, whether it’s Lady Jay… I think that’s what ties everyone together. It’s different experiences to colonization. It makes them a perfect fit because we’re also trying to demystify the idea that because people are different they should be fearful of that person."
Damptey's live show certainly goes a long way to erasing these differences. Having shared stages with the likes of Femi Kuti and Souljazz Orchestra, Damptey touches both mind and body with his sets.
"I make music that’s danceable, that’s groovy," says Damptey. "The point is just to once you’re dancing you hopefully recite the words and they sink down your brain and might spark something. My live shows are meant to be fun, but at the same time we’re giving them a dose of information."
For Damptey, it's all about trying to make the world a better place. Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance is his soundtrack.
"What I’m trying to do is put out music that asks people to become better and challenges systems of oppression and challenges norms," says Damptey. "That’s what I’m hoping it’ll do because we can’t depend on politics, we can’t depend on leaders, we can’t depend on systems. Those things have failed us. But one thing we can depend on is people’s inspiration and people’s emotion, so the record is supposed to spark that emotion."