Last saturday, I found myself in warm, bright live-room of a recording studio, where the award-winning gospel singer Noble Nketsiah alongside the dynamic cultural ensemble Manklalo Cultural Group. From the moment I stepped through the door, the air hummed with anticipation this isn’t just another album, they say. It’s a bold blend of Gospel and culture.
Noble stood at the microphone, poised to deliver the lead vocals, while around him the gorgeous harmonic voices of Leticia, Comfort, Princess and Rita (just to name a few) warmed up, their voices rising in gentle union. Behind them, the live-band from the Manklalo crew, Bright, Eliasu, Isaac, Kingsley, Henry, James, Mohammed, Peter, Ebenezer and others, each man with his instrument, crooning wires, pedals, drums and skins ready. Instruments tuned, rhythms poised, voices aligned. The group promised authenticity: live instrument recording, no shortcuts and no samples, the full vibrant energy of culture in motion.
In the studio I captured a glimpse of the magic: the traditional drums and percussion from the Manklalo group pulsing beneath a modern gospel groove. At one point Bright picked up a an instrument, the syncopated beat rippled across the room, and I swear you could feel the music churning through the headphones.
Speaking to me during the session, Princess Owusu and Comfort Amoah both explained that the songs on the coming album were jointly written by Noble Nketsiah and the Manklalo Cultural Group. The lead vocalist himself said the project “will be a music marriage between both genres”, gospel’s heartfelt worship and culture’s rhythmic folk heritage, a bold union that aims to lift up both spirit and roots.
When asked when the album will drop, the team shared a shy smile and said that it “would be a surprise.” No date yet, but the promise of a tour with the album in the near future was made loud and clear.
The vibe in the studio was palpable: respectful, joyful, creative and rooted. As I left, I could still hear echoes of harmonies and drum-pulses in my head. And I walked out knowing: this upcoming album will not only be a collection of songs, but a cultural proclamation of faith, of heritage and musical unity.
Good one there guys👍🏻