Constant Boty
The Constant Boty Group, on Wednesday, delivered an eclectic jumble of rhythms and sounds that easily reflected its brilliance during a virtual performance at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.
Led by guitar magician, Constant Boty, alongside Nii Keyz (keyboard), Eugene Lomo (bass) and Nana Ofori (drums) the quartet presented an exuberant mix of tunes that were inspired by African folk tunes, jazz and world music.
With compositions from an album titled Guru Guru and an upcoming one titled Shine On, which will be dedicated to the late UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, the group churned out a dramatic blend of original, standard and scintillating improvisations.
With tunes such as Venus In Gemini, Mali, Coup De Foudre, My People and Guru Guru – all composed by Boty – and My Favorite Things, a composition by Richard Rodgers, which was popularized by the saxophone legend, John Coltrane, the musicians delivered well crafted, catchy and infectious tunes.
A respected guitarist, Boty, turned the stage into a tsunami of energy as the group’s manipulating of texture and rhythmic cycles with diverse tones and heavy hammered keyboard chords filled the air of the auditorium.
Boty is a member of the Jazz Education Network, and is an enthusiastic and experienced music educator.
He taught guitar and West African music at the German Swiss International School in Accra and conducted music workshops in jazz, world music and West African folkloric music in Europe, United States and other parts of Africa.
Shine On, which is scheduled to be released in 2021, featured a bevy of musicians from around the globe including bass clarinetist, Oran Etkin; pianist, Benito Gonzalez; master bassists, Lonnie Plaxico and Mike Pope; vocalist, Heather Maxwell; saxophonists, Kris Allen and Benny Rubin Jr; and drummers, Daniel Freedman, Francisco Mela, Daniel Prim and Luiz Santos.
The performance was supported by Goethe-Institut Ghana.
By John Owoo