At the end of the title track of her debut album A.O.E.I.U., an ecstatic Florence Adooni rhapsodizes about music. It is many things, she says: the art of time, a metaphor for life, capable of generating cosmic meaning. It is “an ordinary exercise in unity”, the phrase for which the title stands. In Adooni’s case, though, ordinary is not a euphemism for dull. Instead, perhaps it’s shorthand for the idea of music as intertwined with everyday being, for groundedness and inclusivity. The exercise of music making may be ordinary, but as a creation, A.O.E.I.U. is an extraordinary, rejuvenating, and soulful release that’s one of the year’s best so far.
Adooni began her career with local releases in her home country of Ghana. Her international debut comes from years working with Berlin-based label Philophon, collaborating with Jimi Tenor, Guy One, and fellow Frafra musicians Alogte Oho and His Sounds of Joy. The lilting opening track, “Mam Pe’ela Su’ure”, first came out as a seven-inch single in 2021.
In short, this is an album long in the making, and one in which Adooni emerges from her time in the background as a fully realized performer. With composition and production assistance from Philophon label head and founder Max Weissenfeldt, she leads tracks that run the gamut from jazz to highlife to the warmer side of EDM.
This is a strictly no-filler operation. Every piece is outstanding. “Vocalize My Luv” is the most overt earworm, a vibrant, synth-heavy dancefloor filler on which Adooni gets to belt in staccato spurts over bouncing horns from labelmate Tenor and an accompanying tight ensemble.
“A.O.E.I.U.” takes things in an entirely different direction with ten minutes of smooth and philosophical grooves (“The ocean and the trees / All the birds are singing / But high up are the chords / Solar circles are swinging”). More than just an acronym, the track’s title is a lyric in itself, Florence Adooni and a backing chorus crying out “aoeiu” in sheer exultation over the building momentum of acoustic keys, guitar, drums, and sax, all of which eventually land and dissolve beneath musings on unity.
“Otoma Da Naba” is a return to the dancefloor, this time with disco strings and quicker, more complex rhythms. Coquettish flute and slinky organ give “O Yinne Te San Tue!” a dubby playfulness. King Phi Lafaro’s bass is the hero of “Uh-Ah Song”, though Dickson Boaye Danso’s sunny guitar and Pitches’ trumpet also add wonderfully lively solos. The final track, “Fo Yelle”, is a velvety mid-tempo bop, Adooni’s lyricism on full display.
A.O.E.I.U. is a marvelous introduction to Florence Adooni and her skill set, which is admirable in its breadth and depth. She slides between genres and moods, all the while keeping her cool. It’s clear that Weissenfeldt believes in her star quality–recorded mainly in Kumasi, the musicians here are top-tier, and the arrangements are a joy to witness–and he’s right to do so. Adooni has effortless, down-to-earth charisma from start to finish, from her most lighthearted moments to her most earnest. Here’s hoping for much more from her in the near future.