Amaarae, or Ama Serwah Genfi if you prefer her real name, was my revelation at Sunday’s Osheaga festival. This Ghanaian-American artist brings together two continents, proving to be more North American than African without neglecting the second part of her identity.
She takes to the stage with a hybrid, distinctive look. Her black jumpsuit is fastened at the center of her chest with a zipper that extends to her throat. She wears a black cap that sometimes gives her a stern appearance. And, to blur the lines, she wears a pair of silver stiletto boots.
She can adopt a thin, cuddly, high-pitched voice, and she can also change her tone (and pitch) to command respect. Once again, this way of expressing herself exploits the contrast between femininity and masculinity combined in one person. And it’s impressive because we still have few Afro-descendant pop role models to express these multiple identities.
Her double EP released in 2024, roses are red, tears are blue / A Fountain Baby, is a true revelation. Coming from Ghana and therefore from West Africa with its Anglo-colonial culture, she could have been labeled as Afrobeats, or expected to deliver a bit of Ghanaian highlife, but that wasn’t exactly the case. Several of her songs can be associated with it, but the concert presented on the Forêt stage gives it little space. Amaarae embodies a composite, androgynous, global culture. Influences from electro, instrumental hip-hop, new soul, muscular pop-rock, and even jazz-groove are among Amaarae’s colors. And when the Afrobeats kick in, they don’t have the relaxed feel of Nigerian productions; they are more assertive. What’s more, the arrangements don’t shy away from dramatic bursts and crescendos. Truly powerful!
So let’s avoid comparing this artist to her African colleagues Yemi Alade, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and others.
It’s danceable from start to finish, sure, the grooves are irresistible, sure, and it’s different from anything I’ve heard in African pop to date. Amaarae will set a precedent, I dare say.
