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Rocky Dawuni Launches New Album “Beats of Zion” featuring Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Alika & Wiyaala
Rocky Dawuni, the international music star/global ambassador and humanitarian activist, releases his highly anticipated 7th studio album Beats of Zion on March 8,2019 with Six Degrees Distribution. [Pre-Order: https://rockydawuni.lnk.to/beatsalbum] The thirteen-track set follows the GRAMMY nominated album Branches of the Same Tree, (“Best Reggae Album” in 2016) and expands Rocky’s “Afro Roots” sound to include the diversity of the Ghanaian […]
Rocky Dawuni, the international music star/global ambassador and humanitarian activist, releases his highly anticipated 7th studio album Beats of Zion on March 8,2019 with Six Degrees Distribution.
[Pre-Order: https://rockydawuni.lnk.to/beatsalbum] The thirteen-track set follows the GRAMMY nominated album Branches of the Same Tree, (“Best Reggae Album” in 2016) and expands Rocky’s “Afro Roots” sound to include the diversity of the Ghanaian music scene and its current global outreach.
Although Rocky’s music has had CNN naming him “Africa’s Top 10 global stars” and Ziggy Marley stating “Rocky’s music is creative inspiration that knows no boundaries,” it’s only one part of what drives his mass appeal. Dawuni’s eloquence, cultural diplomacy and passionate activism have led him to become a moving spokesperson for various global causes. Recently, Rocky was designated a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for Africa at a beautiful concert at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2018 at the Global Landscapes Forum with dignitaries from all over the world. This is on top of the social campaigns and activism he’s done including work with Product (RED), ONE, UNICEF, The Carter Center, Clean Cooking Alliance and the United Nations Foundation. Additionally, with UNESCO’s recent designation of Reggae music as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Rocky Dawuni represents one of the leading African global voices of Reggae.
Rocky’s travels around the world helped shape the new album Beats of Zion. He elaborates, “Beats of Zion was born out of my desire to use my diverse global musical influences and exposure to various traditions to paint a multi-cultural musical vision of the world that I perceive. The beginning of the year saw me visit Ethiopia and India. In Ethiopia, I visited Lalibela, witnessing ancient Christian rites and my journeys in India also exposed me to its diverse spiritual culture and the shared similarities I saw to Africa.” He adds, “The title Beats of Zion is inspired by a vision of the drumbeat of awareness and elevation of consciousness; a musical call to arms for my audience to be proactive in this day and age as to each person’s responsibility to be an active instrument for positive change.”
The album was recorded in the span of almost 2 years in various studios in Ghana – Accra, Nairobi – and Los Angeles, California. In LA, Rocky was gifted studio time at the legendary Village Studios that has recorded the most influential artists including Bob Dylan, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, and Fleetwood Mac. Rocky ended up recording in the same room as Fleetwood Mac and created the magic of the title track “Beats of Zion” and “Wickedest Sound.” Rocky found out that Fleetwood Mac visited Ghana in the 1970s which made the experience more special and inspired the Ghanaian traditional highlife song “Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu” as a homage to his heritage. These 3 tracks recorded at Village Studios kicked off the entire album making process.
The title track and lead single “Beats of Zion” came out well from the Village Studios session, but was missing something on the drum tracking. Rocky states, “We travelled to Zanzibar for a concert shortly after the recording session. At the time, I was still wanting the full African tribal effect that I had imagined. On the eve of my concert at the amazing Sauti za Busara Festival, we saw Batimbo Percussion Magique of Burundi mount the stage and blow the minds of everyone in the audience. I turned to my manager; Cary Sullivan who was also watching and we thought the same – ‘these are the guys for Beats of Zion’ and so the story unfolded.” The lead single video debuted with PopMatters who stated, “Rocky Dawuni aims to re-energize the forces of love and hope.”
“Wickedest Sound” is another song that speaks volumes, featuring Ghanaian dancehall star Stonebwoy. The track combines elements of modern Afrobeats with Reggae music. With production paying homage to the organic recordings of classic Highlife music, it also combines a groove driven melodic approach with the traditional call and response style of singing. “Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu” features Ghanaian hip-hop star Sarkodieand is a sprawling remake of the Highlife classic originally recorded by Ghanaian maestro K. Frimpong which is all sung in Twi. “Let’s Go” fuses pop sensibilities, Reggae and the grooves of New Orleans to create a feel-good anthem of forward mobility and positive vibrations. The hand claps add an organic Gospel feel to this exhilarating song. PRI of The World caught up with Rocky Dawuni to talk about the song and video that supports a bicycle program for girl child education initiatives in Ghana..
Other tracks that show more dimensions to the album include the Reggae Cumbia track “Freedom Train” featuring Argentinian Dancehall queen Alika who joins Rocky with her powerful Spanish raps and “Burn One” a homage to the social transformative power of the legalization of marijuana in the spheres of medicine, recreational use and as a primary tool for economic emancipation. There will be videos coming out for many of the tracks on the album including “Elevation” which was shot on location in southern India. It is an inspirational groove filled with a message of hope and uses the traditional Rastafarian Nyabinghi sounds. “Champion Arise,” a track that easily fits into the current Roots Reggae revival sound, paints a spiritual picture with biblical imagery and inspirational lyrics about spiritual warfare for the upliftment of all people. “Sunshine Day” is the 1970’s Ghanaian pop group Osibisa classic song re-imagined as an up-tempo Reggae song with featured Ghanaian artist the “Young Lioness of Africa” Wiyaala. The diversity and features found on the new album are in step with Rocky’s vision of constantly evolving the boundaries of his sounds and expanding its global palettes and reach.
In a time when divisive rhetoric is on the rise and the political climate prefers to build walls over bridges, Rocky’s album Beats of Zion is a refreshing message about global unity and a worldview of oneness. Rocky passionately states, “We live in a time when the elements of international morality need to be proclaimed as a guiding principle for how we engage and deal with each other, between individuals, between communities and among nations. It is a time for global mobilization for action on challenging socio-political issues like the environment and the refugee crisis. Beats of Zion is the drumbeat of war against apathy and re-energizing the forces of love and hope.” He concludes, “Beats of Zion is the rhythm of change beating from a distance and getting louder to awaken positive consciousness.”
“Influenced by sounds from across the African diaspora – everywhere from Dawuni’s native Ghana to the Caribbean – and beyond, the artist cements his role as a central voice in the contemporary African reggae scene by expanding its very scope.” – PopMatters
“Rocky Dawuni is one of Ghana’s best-traveled musicians these days. He lives between Los Angeles and Accra, but his signature “Afro Roots” sound—a blend of reggae, highlife, Afrobeat and more—brings him to concert stages and recording studios in places like Zanzibar, Nairobi, and Harare, Zimbabwe, as well as throughout Europe and the United States.” AfroPop
“What a tremendous performance from international reggae star Rocky Dawuni. It has been a joy to watch his maturation as a writer and performer, and this Ghana-based video shows him at the absolute height of his powers, chanting an irresistibly danceable melody that expands the range of his syncretic powers. First rate and a pure joy!” –Roger Steffens, author of the award-winning “So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley”SALES:
Pre-Order now all platforms worldwide with instant gratification tracks “Beats of Zion” and “Let’s Go:”: https://rockydawuni.lnk.to/beatsalbum
Album pre-order in Ghana and Africa available at: Play Africa and Aftown
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Mastercard collaborates with industry stakeholders to tackle cyber threats in Ghana
Mastercard, a leading global payment technology company, recently concluded the second edition of the Fraud and Cyber Resilience Forum event in Accra, Ghana. This year’s event provided a vital platform for industry stakeholders to converge and address pressing cybersecurity challenges. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, the second edition saw increased interest and participation, with experts and professionals gathering to discuss and tackle the evolving cyber risks faced by organizations in today’s dynamic digital landscape.
With cybercrime on the rise, including identity theft and phishing, Mastercard prioritizes fraud prevention and cybersecurity worldwide, including in Ghana. This commitment becomes even more critical given that Ghana recorded GH¢49.5 million in direct financial losses through cyber fraud activities between January and June of 2023, highlighting the need for concerted efforts to safeguard the financial services industry and government from attacks. In response to these challenges, Mastercard is not only investing in innovation and collaborations, but also providing an avenue for stakeholders to discuss best practices to ensure cyber resilience in the country.
“In Ghana, the proliferation of digital services has brought unprecedented convenience to consumers and businesses alike. However, with this increased connectivity comes an alarming rise in cyber threats, posing significant risks to both financial institutions and their consumers,” said Bossman Kwapong, The Country Director for Ghana at Mastercard. “In light of these challenges, Mastercard recognizes the critical role it plays in fortifying Ghana’s digital infrastructure. Hosting events like the Fraud and Cyber Resilience Forum is not just a proactive measure—it’s a necessary step towards enhancing awareness, collaboration, and resilience within the Ghanaian ecosystem.”
The forum delved into the most recent tactics employed by cybercriminals, their targeted assets, and the underlying motivations behind their attacks. With a particular emphasis on the financial services sector, the forum provided an extensive examination of the local cyber threat environment, recent instances of fraud, and effective strategies to mitigate vulnerabilities that could affect business profitability. Additionally, Mastercard showcased its state-of-the-art fraud detection solutions, including the Decision Intelligence system, which leverages advanced technologies to swiftly identify and thwart fraudulent activities in real-time, safeguarding customers’ accounts and transactions.
Stakeholders at the event expressed a shared commitment to fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and proactive measures to mitigate cyber risks within Ghana’s financial ecosystem. The consensus reached underscored the importance of ongoing dialogue, collective action, and continued investment in robust cybersecurity infrastructure to safeguard against emerging threats. As participants departed the event, they left with a renewed sense of purpose and determination to join forces in strengthening cyber resilience and promoting a secure digital future for Ghana.
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