"Top of the world" - "The new generation of Ghanaian highlife: Ahead of the release of this debut, Accra eight-piece Santrofi tore through the European festival scene with livewire sets. They might be crowd pleasers, but with 'Alewa' Santrofi intend to stir the soul as well as the body by making the case that Ghanaian highlife is high art. Opener 'Kokrokoo' takes us back to the origins of the form with a call-and-response conversation led by poet Fapempong, accompanied by the percussive natter of a drum circle. It is not long before bewitching guitar riffs herald the hypnotic highlife grooves ... Santrofi's members came up in the bands of highlife legends like guitarist Ebo Taylor. Now they are the torch bearers for Ghana's home-grown art form, and the flame burns hot and bright"

"Last year the band blew European festival audiences away, allying precision instrumentation with crisp dance moves. You can't hear the choreography on this debut, but the playing remains immaculate - a high-octane mix of punchy jazz horns and call-and-response vocals typified by Kwaa Kwaa and Adwuma. There are Afrobeat echoes on Konongo Kaya, but Santrofi's message is joy rather than defiance. A winner"