| Songs of Paapieye | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2 October 2015 | |||
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| Length | 33:09 | |||
| Label | Awesome Tapes From Africa | |||
| Producer | Brian Shimkovitz | |||
| SK Kakraba chronology | ||||
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Songs of Paapieye is the fourth album by Ghanaian musician SK Kakraba, released in October 2015 by Awesome Tapes From Africa, becoming the first album of original material released by the typically reissue-centred label. The album showcases Kakraba's mastery of the gyil, a type of wooden, 14-slatted xylophone originating from Kakraba's native Ghana that features a distinctive, buzzy rattle with a slow decaying sound caused by spiders egg sac silk walls pulled across the gourds' holes, known in Kakraba's Lobi language as pappieye, which gives the album its name. It is smoother in sound than his previous album Yonye and is fast-paced, showcasing complex, intricate rhythms, drones and dialogue between lower, buzzing basslines and higher, syncopated notes. Many tracks feature several modes and move between different sections.
Kakraba recorded the album by himself without overdubs or accompaniment from other musicians, and used only the gyil. The tracks are song cycles, mostly drawing from Ghanaian traditional music, although there is original material on the album. Among the tracks, there are three funeral pieces. Upon release, where it was made available on a variety of formats, the album was one of only several albums of gyil music. It received critical acclaim, with critics highlighting the instrument's unusual sounds and timbres, the album's skillful pacing and Kakraba's virtuoso technique.