fra fra

About the band

fra fra's "Funeral Songs" was recorded 100% live and outdoors without overdubs by Grammy-winning music producer and author, Ian Brennan (Tinariwen, Ustad Saami, The Good Ones [Rwanda], Zomba Prison Project) in northern Ghana. Far from deathly dirges, far fra's songs are largely celebrations. Their process of mourning bares more than a passing resemblance to a New Orleans second line marching band. It is challenging to disregard this as mere coincidence given the sad history of the transatlantic slave trade exploiting their very region in the north. The trio's 72-year-old leader “Small” plays a homemade, 2-string guitar with dog-tags for rattles and bears a raspy tenor of epic virtuosity.

Thumbnail photo by Marilena Umuhoza Delli

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