The drum and bagpipe group “Auļi” kicks off the second season of their project “Senču Balsis” with a three-song mini-album titled “Voices of Ghana”, featuring the talented Ghanaian singer Abiana. The project aims to build a musical bridge between traditional vocal cultures from around the world and Latvian folk music.
Abiana (real name Eldah Naa Abiana Dickson) is a renowned Ghanaian singer and songwriter who has received several prestigious awards, including “Record of the Year” and “Best Female Vocal Performance” at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
The mini-album features three traditional Ghanaian songs in different dialects – “Senwa De Dende” (Twi), “Meele Ni Yaa” (Ga) and “Agba Eeeee” (Ewe) – arranged by Auļi. The music was composed by Mārtiņš Miļevskis, Edgars Kārklis, and Kaspars Bārbals.
“After the success of the first season, which culminated in a successful concert tour in Latvia, a documentary on Latvian Television, and wide engagement on social media, we were ready to continue this journey. That’s why we are especially excited to once again focus on international musical collaborations,” shared Auļi bagpiper Kaspars Bārbals.
Michael Bamfo, CEO of Apprise Music, emphasized the broader impact of the collaboration, stating: “This project goes beyond music. It connects history, education, and innovation — perfectly aligning with our mission to make African music accessible to a global audience.”
The second season of the project is set to include a 12-song program, created in collaboration with three international female vocalists and one Latvian singer. The goal is to offer both Latvian and global audiences a glimpse into the vocal traditions of various cultures around the world.
“It’s incredibly fascinating to observe how songs from such different cultures intertwine with Latvian folk songs and Auļi’s music. It evokes emotions never felt before,” says composer Mārtiņš Miļevskis.
The first season was released in 2019 and featured vocalists from Mongolia, Austria, Sápmi (the land of the Sámi people), and Latvia. The most viewed video on YouTube from the project is the collaboration between Auļi and Batzorig Vaanchig titled “Hunnu Guren”: https://youtu.be/vztRqe_CHC0?si=gvsZZ1_OfVzkUH32
