No Tribe out with One God album

They did not want  the infectious praise and worship sessions in church to stay there alone so  Nana Kweku Osei, better known as Nacy, and his friend, Lord Bondzie-Amissah, came together to start the No Tribe group.

Since 2007 when their debut album was released, No Tribe has established itself as one of the most exciting live acts in this country and they continue the groove on the latest collection of songs titled One God.

Launched in the middle of last month, One God is No Tribe’s third album after The Altar and Three. The nine tracks, some of them long medleys, clearly point to a group anxious to constantly improve on what it does.

The album covers a wide range of music styles and it roped in several competent instrumentalists to give it a truly tight feel. There is every indication that strenuous efforts had gone into its making. 

From the opening track of Five Beliefs of No Tribe where the group recite some of the things they believe in, to the last song called Time of Worship, the word of God is delightfully told on the wings of  styles such as highlife, reggae and techno.

Nacy and Lord are the lead vocalists  but poet, Nana Asaase, is featured on Osabarima while Nigerian singer, Jazaata, is also brought in on  Oriofe, a piece with Yoruba leanings.

The attempt to bring authenticity to material on the album is best symbolised by Jamaican Prince Mydas’ chants on Follow Jesus.

Where already known materials are handled in the medleys, there is a serious effort to turn them around and make them sound fresh. Osabarima is one such example with its jazzy punches.

The pack of brilliant instrumentalists on the project recorded at Nacy’s Tone Hall studio at Mataheko in Accra included Francis Osei (drums);  Kwaku Mensah, Dominic Quachie and Owuraku (guitars); and Shadrach Yawson and Nacy (keyboards).

The rest were Kwame Yeboah (kora); Steve Bedi (sax); Dan Grahl (bass); Dela Botri (flute)  and Sunday (percussion).  

“What we are trying to do is to meet the needs of the people with good stuff. That’s what God has given to us to send out. We are just God’s messengers to His people,” Nacy says.

It took almost four years to complete the album and the carefully-crafted pieces  demonstrate the wait for this work has been worth the time. One God is a well-made album by all standards and No Tribe fans as well as general music lovers are likely to love it.