Tommy WÁ outdoors ‘YAKOYO’ on August 4
“Come and be filled” is the theme and meaning of ‘YAKOYO’, the debut single from Accra based Nigerian singer/songwriter Tommy WÁ’s forthcoming EP, ‘Roadman and Folks’ - due for release on Friday, August 4.
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Though typically a guitarist, the singer collaborates with local and international artistes to reflect the rich communal creations that the track embodies.
The track was produced by Lucas Muller (Berlin, Germany), mixed and mastered by Thewa Chaiyadam (Thailand) with additional production and instrumentation by SuperJazzClub's frontman Øbed, and Senku Live's keyboardist/band leader Nee Dromor.
The song opens with a soft callout to ‘hungry’ or ‘thirsty’ journeyers to pause and re-energise in the spirit of community. Tommy WÁ’s warm voice is resonant and rings out, promising plenty of refreshment and “something cooking”.
Voiced with deep passion and soul, Tommy WÁ is a singer-songwriter, poet and visual storyteller who is artfully establishing his musical direction through Afro soundscapes.
He derives his sound texture from a blend of contemporary folk, Indie and retro-soul music.
This musical cocktail efficiently travels the expanse of his Nigerian roots and caters to the musical cravings of Accra, the Ghanaian cosmopolis where he is based.
He cites Michael Kiwanuka, Bon Iver, Brittany Howard, Beautiful Nubia, and The Lumineers amongst others, as music influences.
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Tommy WÁ is mesmerising – whether solo or with his band — with recent live appearances including BASSLINE Festival and ACCESS 2021 in Johannesburg, Pop-Kultur 2022, Berlin and an intimate series of boutique tours in London, Oxford, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.
A self-professed ‘roadman’, Tommy WÁ’s extensive travels through years of musical discovery clearly provide a rich inspiration and context for ‘YAKOYO’.
Despite not shying away from the fact that “life is filled with shortcomings”, Tommy WÁ reminds us on ‘YAKOYO’ to hold on to an abundance mindset, and the importance of creating, sharing and feasting on communal hope.