“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 later this year. An open invitation to his community to feast, share and enjoy together, ‘YAKOYO’ is now available to stream or purchase on various digital music platforms.
Though typically a guitarist, the singer collaborates with other talents local and international to reflect the magic of rich communal creations that the track embodies. The sonically layered 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 influences. Live, 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 physical travels and metaphysical forays 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. The single arrives at an apt time for the lost, the young and the old, the greedy and the needy, re-igniting fires, refuelling and renewing energies as society journeys towards being the change we need to see.
