On 'Ketan', the new album by Blay Ambolley, the Ghanaian music legend pays tribute to his native village near Takoradi in the West of Ghana. Ambolley, singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist learned the music trade from Ghanaian veterans like Ebo Taylor and Sammy Lartey and, whatever Wikipedia may claim about Sugerhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight' (1979), Blay's 'Simigwa-Do' from 1973 is widely regarded by connoisseurs as the first rap song in musical history. The highlife-king, who remained relatively unknown outside Ghana until Soundway Records included 'Simigwa-Do' in the track list of their 2002 compilation 'Ghana Soundz', rerecorded the song for 'Ketan', an album that's an absolute must for anyone who's even a bit sensitive to Afro-groove. Ambolley already turned seventy, but with 'Ketan' proves he's still on top of his game. One for our 2017 album top ten!