Drum Money

Leke Awoyinka, otherwise known as Ekiti Sound, is a singer-songwriter and producer who has moved between Lagos and the UK, soaking up different influences to create a style that fuses Nigerian styles with hip-hop, electronica, jazz and even a dash of folk balladry.

The follow-up to his debut Abeg No Vex is a colourful, confident and ever-changing set on which he is joined by an impressive cast, including the rapid-fire female rapper Aunty Rayzor and bass lines from Olugbenga Adelekan of the British electronic band Metronomy. The opening ‘aLAcarte pt 1’ sets the mood, with a brief and cheerful blend of hip-hop and tight brass backing, and then Ekiti Sound is off, constantly switching between different styles and moods, often within the same song. ‘Fuji on One’ shows off his love of percussion, which underpins so many tracks, while the urgent and edgy ‘Chairman’ introduces Aunty Rayzor, again with a tight brass backing. Other highlights of this 17-track set include ‘Ghost Leader’, a slow, spoken, brass-backed piece with angry political lyrics that might have impressed Fela: ‘ghost leader, we believed in you, ghost leader, you stole all the votes.’ And in contrast, there’s ‘Raindrops’, in which a gently charming ballad sung by Debbie Ohiri is matched against powerful percussion.