Auļi and Abiana’s Cross-Cultural Music Video Project at RocAfrik
A RocAfrik Creative Milestone
As part of the lead-up activities to the RocAfrik Music and Arts Festival, a dedicated day of the festival program was set aside for the filming of Voices of Ghana, a collaborative music project between Latvia’s acclaimed folk ensemble Auļi and Ghanaian vocalist Abiana.
This production day marked a defining moment within RocAfrik’s vision of festivals as living creative ecosystems where music is not only performed but also created, documented, and preserved.
Voices of Ghana
When Baltic Folk Meets African Soul
Voices of Ghana is a three-track EP that brings together the thunder of Latvian bagpipes and drums with the warmth of Ghanaian highlife and soul. At the heart of the project is the reinterpretation of the Ghanaian folk song “Senwa De Dende,” a call from a mother to her child, reshaped through a shared musical language that crosses continents.
The collaboration explores the idea that traditional music, no matter its origin, often carries similar emotional truths. Through rhythm, voice, and ancestral memory, the project reveals how cultures that appear distant can speak to one another with striking familiarity.
Filming at Shai Hills Resource Reserve
The official music video was filmed at the breathtaking Shai Hills Resource Reserve, chosen for its cultural depth and dramatic natural landscape. The setting offered a visual dialogue between land and sound, reinforcing the EP’s connection to heritage, ancestry, and place.
Filming at Shai Hills also formed the starting point of a longer documentary process linked to the EP, capturing the creative exchange, conversations, and lived experiences behind the music.
Artist-Led Direction and Visual Storytelling
The video was directed by Kaspars Bārbals, founder and leader of Auļi, with cinematography by band members Gatis Indrēvics and Jēkabs Vilkārsis. This hands-on approach ensured that the visual narrative remained deeply aligned with the music’s cultural intent.
Rather than asking Abiana to adapt linguistically, the collaboration focused on emotional presence, vocal texture, and shared meaning, allowing Ghanaian language and expression to flow naturally into the music.
Abiana
A Voice Rooted in Ghanaian Heritage
Abiana, born Eldah Naa Abiana Dickson, is one of Ghana’s most respected vocalists, known for blending highlife, soul-life, and neo-soul. Her award-winning vocal work and cultural grounding made her a natural partner for a project centered on ancestry and tradition.
Her participation extended beyond performance, contributing to both the recording process and the visual storytelling that unfolded during the RocAfrik filming day.
Auļi
Latvia’s Thunder of Bagpipes and Drums Meets Africa
Founded in 2003, Auļi is a world-renowned Latvian drum and bagpipe ensemble known for its powerful live performances and global collaborations. The group has performed across Europe and Asia and worked with traditional musicians from regions including Mongolia and Madagascar.
Their Ghana debut through RocAfrik introduced African audiences to Auļi’s bold sound, uniting Baltic musical traditions with Ghana’s rich rhythmic culture and opening new creative pathways between continents.
From Filming Day to Festival Stage
The collaboration reached its live expression during the RocAfrik Festival concert in Accra, where Auļi and Abiana performed together in the capital city. The performance served as the official live launch of Voices of Ghana, bringing the recorded and filmed work back to the people in a shared cultural moment.
The project itself was made possible through connections formed at global industry platforms, including WOMEX, and facilitated locally through Apprise Music and Media, led by Michael Bamfo, reinforcing RocAfrik’s role as a bridge between Africa and the global music ecosystem.
