Florence Adooni – A.O.E.I.U. (Philophon, 2025)
Gifted Ghanaian singer Florence Adooni has released her first international album, A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity), via Philophon. The superb album is the result of a decade-long collaboration with producer and Philophon founder Max Weissenfeldt, alongside a young ensemble of Kumasi-based highlife musicians.
The seven-track record, is heavily inspired by Fra Fra soul and Kumasi highlife. Indeed, it mixes syncopated rhythms, spiritual jazz, and vintage funk with Adooni’s layered vocals. The opening track “Mam Pe’ela Su’ure” (My Heart Is Pure) features intricate guitar lines, horn flourishes, and engaging call-and-response harmonies. Meanwhile, tracks like “Vocalize My Luv” lean into synth-driven grooves, while “Otoma Da Naba (Well Done)” draws on Ethiopian modal scales.
The collaboration began when Weissenfeldt discovered Adooni’s locally released gospel album Ho Sanga La Pa’aya (This Is Your Time) during a trip to Ghana. A chance meeting led to her involvement in Philophon’s roster, appearing on recordings with Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, Guy One, and Jimi Tenor. In 2019, after relocating his Berlin studio to Kumasi, Weissenfeldt recorded Mam Pe’ela Su’ure with Adooni and members of Sounds of Joy, a release that unexpectedly launched her solo career.
The album reflects the momentum of that breakthrough. Tracks like “Uh-Ah Song”, inspired by Adooni’s daughter, channel playful energy into sing along hooks. Others, such as “O Yinne Te San Tue!” (Yinne, You Are There When We Are Lost), take the music to a mid-tempo dub feel.
Buy A.O.E.I.U.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.