Rocky Dawuni Releases ‘Voice of Bunbon Vol. 1’ — A Cultural EP in October 2020
The most powerful element of culture which encompasses all other elements is music. It takes a top-drawer artist to be able to carry the culture and tradition of a people to the global world through music. And Rocky Dawuni is such an excellent storyteller in the Afro Roots music industry — a fact which became too evident on October 30, 2020, when he released ‘Voice of Bunbon Vol. 1’ — A Cultural EP of musical glamor.
Our declaration was pre-affirmed by what Reggae music historian, Roger Steffens, once said about Rocky Dawuni: “he is not just standing there and singing his songs. He is gathering the audience together with him to a place where we all experience the oneness that is at the core of raggae music.”
Reggae music lover Ahmed Abdul-Rasheed of Tema in Ghana also said when we asked his opinion: “I’ve been listening to Rocky since my days at Chemu Secondary School in the late 90s, his words and music inspired me a lot and today I can’t wait to soak this new sound from him.”
Today the GRAMMY-nominated Afro Roots singer, songwriter, producer, and activist, Rocky Dawuni, is again taking his audience and the world on another cultural ride, but this time through his hometown of Bunbon, situated in the Yendi District of Ghana. The journey is made through his catchy spic-and-span EP that was released October 30, 2020, entitled “Voice of Bunbon Vol. 1”.
The EP which is available NOW on all music platforms could be accessed at this link https://tinyurl.com/yy7xo2nf. It contains eight songs; “Difference”, “My Baby,” “Woara”, “Ghost Town”, “Gonna Take it Easy”, “Beautiful People”, “Born to Win”, and “Hustlers“, all of which are indeed voicing out the cultural fibers that define the existence of the people there. Having had the singular pleasure of listening to the EP in its entirety I can say for a fact that not only does it paint a vivid picture of life in Bunbon, but also of the heart of Rocky in Ghana from where he envisions for Africa a future that encapsulates the world of positive possibilities in oneness.
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The EP was born out of Rocky’s full-length album “Beats of Zion” (2019) which gained enormous plaudits around the globe and featured five incredible music videos filmed in Ghana, India, the US, and beyond.
Speaking to TheAfricanDream.net, Rocky explained that “these new songs were born out of my desire to present and project music that is rooted in the deep cultural traditions of Ghana yet presented in a way that it can relate to the modern world… My musical career has always been firmly inspired by my upbringing in the royal family of Bunbon and being educated in its indigenous ways. This exposure to cultural appreciation has served as an important part of my world view and music. My vision for this EP is to present a globalized version of African culture…“
This EP is also a representation of Rocky’s maturation over the years as a voice and vocalist for social consciousness. He described it himself when he told TheAfricanDream.net that “in a time of uncertainty, we need songs and hymns that can touch our emotional nerves and remind us that love and hope are an indestructible aspect of the human experience…“
At this point, all I and I fi say is Jah light and blessings shines pon Rocky. Yes, from the very first time I heard Rocky Dawuni’s voice on radio in Ghana in 1996 when he dropped his first album titled The Movement, to when I first interviewed him in 2012, all his musical works have sought to energize a sense of eternal hope in humanity. ‘Voice of Bunbon‘ tells my story, but it will tell your story too in ways you didn’t imagine because there’s a message there for almost everyone, irrespective of where they are from. Check out an audio snippet from the track Difference below…
Get your own copy, find out for yourself what makes this EP so appealing, and please don’t hesitate to reach Rocky’s manager Cary Sullivan at afrofunke@yahoo.com for media/bookings. Do watch out for a series of eclectic music videos for tracks on the EP by following Rocky on social media and by visiting his website at rockydawuni.com.
Written by Oral Ofori
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
