Ekow Savage Return With Civilisation

?Civilisation?, a reggae cassette released in 1987 by Roots Anabo has been re-released in Accra after going through a process of digitalizing and re-mastering.

The six-track album, which is a mix of soul, funk, pop and jazz created waves in Ghana in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Composed by Ekow Alabi Savage and Samuel Nukpese, ?Civilisation? also boasts of a dramatic fusion of atenteben flutes and kpanlogo drums with Western instruments, which inevitably provides it with an indigenous flavour.

Sang in English and Ga, the album is characteristed by the use of formidable instrumentation with horn interjections and engaging melodies hitting directly at the listener.

The album opens with praises to the Almighty God with ?Singing In The Name of the Lord?. It calls for unity, peace and love among all nations of the world.

?Atenteben Dub? reveals the power and capacity of the atenteben flute as it effectively blends with guitars and drums while moving into a reggae vein with a story of Roots Anabo.

?Apostolic Jazz? which opens with atenteben, comments on Africans, the living God, Rastafarians and others. It is dominated by drums while an exciting chorus pokes out at regular intervals.

Alabi Savage began singing at the tender age of five at one of the Alladura churches in Accra in the mid 1960s. He later played with Pat Thomas and the Sweet Beans as a percussionist.\\After a tour of Europe with the group in 1980, he formed Roots Anabo with his close friend Samuel Nukpese. The group toured Jamaica in 1984 and became the first African group to play at the famous Reggae Sunsplash.

He moved to Germany in 1980 and has since been playing with diverse groups including Vitamin X, a Ghanaian group also based in Germany.

Alabi Savage was involved in a project with Reality Brothers which eventually earned them a record deal while placing them on the charts in Germany and other parts of Europe. He has one solo album ?Gye Nyame? to his credit.

Civilisation was recorded in studios in Kingston (Jamaica) and Berlin (Germany).