THE LA DRIVERS UNION POR POR GROUP

Nii Ashai ‘Vice’ Ollennu: group leader and por por engine
Nii Tetteh ‘Mas T’ Boye La: vocals, atenteben flute, apentema congas Adjetey Sowah: gome drum, por por long horn
Oko Sai: por por long horn
Nii Amarh Amartey: vocals, por por horn
Victoria Mensah: vocals
Nii Otoo Annan: gangokui bells

THE TEXAS HORNS

Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff: tenor saxophone; harmonica (4), vocals (4)
Al Gomez: trumpet; vocals (4)
John Mills: baritone saxophone; Fender Rhodes piano (8), vocals (4)

WITH GUEST ARTISTS
Chris Maresh: electric bass (2,3,4,6,8,10,12) ; Brannen Temple: drums and per- cussion (3, 4, 6, 8,10,12); Steven Feld: gangokui, dawuro, ododompo bells (4,6,8,12), clave (1,8) trombone (4,9), vocals (4); Alex Coke: tenor saxophone (3, 4, 6, 8,12); Michael Longoria: percussion (3, 4, 6, 8,12); Nii Otoo Annan: odonno talking drum (3,6), apentema congas (4), gangofone (10), snare drum (11); Randy Zimmerman: trombone (1,5,7,11); Glenn Rexach: electric guitar (3, 4, 8); Nick Connolly: Hammond B3 organ (4), piano (10); Nii Noi Nortey: africorder pipe (6), kudu antelope horn (12); Mabel Odoi, Adwoa Kyere, Victoria Mensah: vocals (4) ; Drew Potter: vocals (4) ; Nii Yemo Nunu: vocals (6); Johnny Moeller: electric guitar (1); Jay Rozen: tuba (11)

1. Mibi Anue (“My Child Anue”) 4’36

2. Sunshine in Africa 4’16

3. Shidaa (“Praise”) 5’26

4. Driver Take Me 3’49

5. Amliyeli (“Selfishness”) 4’17

6.M.V.Labadi 4’13

7. Tswao Omanyeaba (“Good Tidings”) 3’15

8. Kpanlogo Medley 4’20

9. Suomo (“Love”) 5’25

10. 2018 4’05

11. Aagbemi (“You Are Killing Me”) 3’19

12. Akwaaba (“Welcome”) 2’55

Led by The Texas Horns are the songs Shidaa, Driver Take Me, M.V. Labadi, Kpanlogo Medley and Akwaaba. These are recomposed from parent versions on the 2007 Smithsonian Folkways CD Por Por: Honk Horn Music of Ghana. Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff arranged Shidaa, Driver Take Me, M.V. Labadi and Akwaaba, and Kpanlogo Medley was arranged by John Mills. These were recorded in Austin in March 2022 and overdubbed in Accra and Austin. Also led by The Texas Horns is 2018 remixed with Accra overdubs from their 2018 CD Get Here Quick.

Led by the La Drivers Union Por Por Group are the songs Mibi Anue, Amliyeli, Tswao Omanyeaba, Suomo, and Aagbemi, newly composed for this project by Nii Tetteh ‘Mas T’ Boye La. These were recorded in Accra in October 2022, with overdub arrangements by Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff, recorded in Austin in November 2022. Also led by the La Drivers Union Por Por Group is Sunshine in Africa, remixed with Austin overdubs from their 2009 CD Klebo!

THE TRACKS

1. MIBI ANUE (“My Child Anue”) is a song rebuking a child about his lack of respect for his elders. Nii Ashai’s por por engine and Nii Otoo’s bells fire up the honking, then The Texas Horns punch in, their bluesy echo of the gliding pitches of a passing truck horn leading to hot interplays with Por Por rhythm.

2. SUNSHINE IN AFRICA, sings the joys of home and hospitality. The opening laid-back feel soon enough heats up to effervescent horn honking all around.

3. SHIDAA (“Praise”) honors pioneer Ghanaian drivers. Nii Otoo’s talking drum speaks praises through the opening horn chords, leading to a string of local Ga chestnuts, with searing solos from Al, Chris, John, and Brannen.

4. DRIVER, TAKE ME is a woman trader’s plea, originally in adowa rhythm. Kaz’s arrangement sets the song in a Memphis groove, featuring his harmonica, Chris and Glenn’s soulful bass and guitar, and Nick’s Hammond B3.

5. AMLIYELI (“Selfishness”) is a song about greed. Mas T contributes a sweet atenteben flute solo in addition to his ever-propulsive congas. Kaz’s chorale- like horn arrangement reinvents the harmonic foundation of the song in support of Victoria’s chastising lead vocal.

6. M.V. LABADI is a song of praise named for the vehicle driven by Ataa Anangbi Anangfio, father of our Accra producer Nii Yemo Nunu. The Texas Horns, lead by Kaz’ tenor sax, reinterpret the original melody in a stately fashion, punctuated by talking drum praises, por por horn honking, atenteben fluting, and a soulful tenor sax solo by Kaz. Nii Yemo comes in before the last melody statement to praise the well-known vehicles of his father’s driving era: M.V. Labadi; The Day; No Time to Die; It’s Not Your Fault; Shark Malo; Gentleman; Don’t Speak From Your Jealousy; We Are Known; May Be; Survival. Their story is told in our book Cool Running: The Story of Ghana’s Honk Horn Lorries and Por Por Music.

7. TSWAO OMANYEABA (“Good Tidings”) is a song of greeting and hopes for all good things to come. Kaz’ arrangement brings The Texas Horns into the conversation with an opening wink to Sunshine in Africa.

8. KPANLOGO MEDLEY highlights an urban popular dance that came to prominence in the 1960s in Accra, Ghana’s capital. Kpanlogo medleys stitch together popular melody fragments to the bell timeline that connects Ghana- ian grooves with Cuban son clave and the Bo Diddley beat. John’s combination of kpanlogo melodies with innovative bass and guitar lines heads to the wild side of interlocking honked horns, accentuated by Alex’s sax solo, and Brannen’s thundering drums.

9. SUOMO (“Love”) is a song that reminds how money cannot buy love. The song revs up with the sound of a vintage 1950s Ghanaian Bedford lorry, soon joined by Por Por’s honk horns, Steve’s trombone, and Kaz’s arrangement emphasizing the call and response between horns and vocals.

10. 2018, composed and arranged by Al, appeared in a different mix on The Texas Horns’ 2019 CD Get Here Quick. Brannen and Chris’ punchy New Orleans street rhythm sets up partying breakdowns and solos from The Texas Horns, Nick, and Por Por.

11. AAGBEMI (“You Are Killing Me”) tells the story of a “house enemy,” one who secretly undercuts others while acting like a friend. Among unique contributions to the popping por por engine and long horn groove are Nii Otoo’s jazzy brushes on snare and Jay’s pumping tuba bass line.

12. AKWAABA (“Welcome”) is a greeting call. Nii Noi’s opening invocation on kudu antelope horn leads to Nii Ashai playing the 12/8 kolo rhythm on double por por horn and The Texas Horns hocketing and rocking the rhythm into a series of horn blast-offs that end with a taxi horn embrace.