Afro Soul Stories

Hosted by Sewor Okudzeto

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Music Interviews
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Afro Soul Stories, hosted by Sewor Okudzeto, shines a spotlight on artists of African heritage across the diaspora. Through the podcast, he explores the journeys, music, and cultural connections of these creators, celebrating their artistry and resilience. With a deep love for Afro Fusion Music, Sewor brings their stories to life, bridging African roots with a global audience. Full Video Episodes available on YouTube

4d ago

E32: Akadi Sankofa — What Does Afrofuturism Really Mean?

Artist Akadi Sankofa, who records as Trees with Roots, joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to talk Afrofuturism, hip-hop, funk and his new EP, Black to the Future. Akadi breaks down what Afrofuturism means to him and takes us inside the world of the new record: Gabriel Rose, Dark Matter, the melanin aliens and a journey through "space and rhyme". He traces his inspirations from Nas and hip-hop back through funk, blues and the spirituals, and shares how his family traced their roots to the Ewe people of Ghana, Togo and Benin. He also speaks openly about his mental health and how art became his therapy. Plus: why his music lives on Bandcamp, Sankofa Smoothies, and what nature and community have taught him. This episode includes frank discussion of mental health crisis and hospital admission. Hear Akadi Sankofa's music as Trees with Roots Bandcamp: https://treeswithroots.bandcamp.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treeswithroots Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-VQ8FltuZiY About Afro Soul Stories Afro Soul Stories, hosted by Sewor Okudzeto, explores the roots, rhythms and creative journeys of African and diaspora artists — where music meets memory and culture meets innovation. Follow the show so you don't miss the next conversation, and leave a rating if this one moved you. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrosoulstories Website: https://www.afrosoulstories.com Contact: admin@afrosoulstories.com
Sep 30

E31: Obase-Aboli — Where Is Home for a Diaspora Musician?

What does home mean when your music has carried you across three continents? Cameroonian balafonist, composer and music educator Obase-Aboli joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to talk highlife, belonging and the business of music. Obase-Aboli's journey runs from Cameroon to Abu Dhabi, Ghana and now the UK. He explains how he plays two balafons side by side — one tuned for the "white keys", one for the "black keys" — so he can play every note with a full band. He talks about why four years in Ghana and its highlife tradition reshaped his sound, how Cameroon holds nearly every form of balafon found across the continent, and why musicians need to understand that music is a business with a brand behind it. We also talk about his band Ban'tikar – The African Spy Band and the question at the heart of their new project: what happens when you're not fully home here, and no longer fully home there? 📺 See the balafon in action — watch the full video episode on YouTube: [ADD YOUTUBE LINK] 🎵 Follow Obase-Aboli Instagram: @obaseaboliofficial Website: https://abolimusic.com 🎧 Follow Afro Soul Stories so you never miss an episode, and leave a rating — it helps new listeners find conversations with artists shaping the sound of the African diaspora worldwide. 🎙️ About Afro Soul Stories Afro Soul Stories, hosted by Sewor Okudzeto, explores the roots, rhythms and creative journeys of African and diaspora artists — where music meets memory and culture meets innovation. 📺 YouTube: @Afro-Soul-Stories 📸 Instagram: @afrosoulstories | @sewor_music 🌍 https://www.afrosoulstories.com | https://www.seworokudzeto.com ✉️ admin@afrosoulstories.com | sewor@seworokudzeto.com
Sep 23

E30 Damoi Morgan

Steelpan artist, composer and educator Damoi Morgan joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to explore the remarkable history and evolution of the steel pan. Born in Brooklyn with Trinidadian and Jamaican roots, Damoi reflects on his journey from school music rooms in New York to research and performance across Senegal, South Africa and London. We discuss the steel pan’s transformation from an instrument shaped by colonial suppression into a global symbol of Caribbean creativity, alongside Damoi’s own artistic development, his album Reflections Abroad, and the experiences that continue to shape the way he composes, performs and teaches. A conversation about music, migration, heritage and the continuing evolution of one of the world’s youngest instruments.
Sep 23

E29 Gbogboade

Gbogboade joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to discuss his journey from Nigeria to the UK and the evolution of his distinctive sound. Born in Port Harcourt and shaped by Lagos, the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist blends Neo Soul, Afro Fusion and downtempo influences into music that feels intimate, reflective and entirely his own. We explore his growth as an artist, the 2025 EP Where Do We Go?, and his latest 2026 project, Bastard!. One of the most compelling new voices emerging from the Nigerian diaspora.
Jul 30

E28 Doye T.Agama

What if the music you love most — Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Afrobeats, Amapiano — all came from the same place? Ethnomusicologist and author Doye T. Agama joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to trace the real history of West African music — from ancient traditions to global dominance, and how it survived, travelled across continents, and came back transformed. Doye's book The Sound That Would Not Die is one of the most comprehensive accounts of this migratory story we've come across. This conversation covers the circuit that connects Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe — and how it has been running for centuries. If you care about where the music actually comes from, this one is essential listening. Get Doye's book: https://amzn.eu/d/038Lfjro About Afro Soul StoriesAfro Soul Stories, hosted by Sewor Okudzeto, explores the roots, rhythms and creative journeys of African and diaspora artists — where music meets memory and culture meets innovation. Follow us on YouTube: @AfroSoulStoriesInstagram: @afrosoulstories | @sewor_musicVisit: www.afrosoulstories.com | www.seworokudzeto.comContact: admin@afrosoulstories.com
Jul 16

E27 Kwame Yeboah

Kwame Yeboah is one of Ghana's most accomplished musicians, producers, arrangers and musical directors. From his roots in western Ghana, through studies in Denmark, to an international career working with artists including Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Craig David, Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Sola Akingbola and many more, his journey spans decades of creativity across Africa, Europe and beyond. In this episode of Afro Soul Stories, Sewor Okudzeto sits down with Kwame to discuss his remarkable career, the global rise of African music, the revival of Ghanaian highlife, and the experiences that have shaped his sound. The conversation also explores Kwame's debut solo album, In His Own Time, and Arkava—his direct-to-fan platform designed to help artists build meaningful relationships with listeners while creating alternatives to the traditional streaming model. This is a conversation about musicianship, heritage, ownership, and why preserving African musical culture has never been more important. In this episode: Growing up in Ghana's highlife traditionStudying music in DenmarkHugh Masekela's InfluenceWorking with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Craig David, Pat Thomas, Ebo Taylor and moreThe global growth of African musicRecording, touring and musical directionIn His Own Time – Kwame's debut solo albumWhy Arkava puts artists and fans firstThe future of African music
Jun 24

E26 Wanlov The Kubolor

Wanlov the Kubolor has spent nearly two decades making albums most artists wouldn't touch — one about illegal gold mining years before it became a national crisis, one about Ghana's anti-LGBT politics, a whole catalogue of "card" albums each tackling a different piece of social commentary. In this episode, Sewor Okudzeto sits down with the Ghanaian-Romanian rapper, producer and filmmaker for a full career retrospective: the FOKN Bois origin story with longtime collaborator M3NSA (the duo behind Coz Ov Moni, the world's first pidgin musical film), his production work with Stevo Atambire and Alostmen, his more recent work with Lamisi on her Real World Records project Let Us Clap, his move into directing over 100 of his own music videos, and the night FOKN Bois played one of their most provocative songs to 5,000 people at the Afrika Shrine in Lagos. We also get into why he's pulled most of his catalogue off Spotify on principle, his early influences from Ghanaian highlife legends, and what it means to build a career on saying the things other artists won't. Listen to Wanlov's music on Bandcamp: wanlov.bandcamp.com Afro Soul Stories — hosted by Sewor Okudzeto — explores the roots, rhythms and creative journeys of African and diaspora artists.
May 18

E25 Honouring Ebo Taylor | Kweku Aacht on EBOFEST 2026

In this special tribute episode, we honour the life and legacy of Ebo Taylor — Ghanaian guitarist, composer, and one of the founding architects of highlife and Afrobeat music. Ebo Taylor passed away on 7th February 2026, aged 90, leaving behind six decades of music that shaped the sound of an entire continent. We sit down with Kweku Aacht, representative of EBOFEST — the international festival dedicated to Ebo Taylor's legacy — to talk about the man, his music, and the upcoming celebrations honouring both his life and 100 years of highlife music. From his collaborations with Fela Kuti in 1960s London, to producing Pat Thomas and C.K. Mann at Essiebons, to being sampled by Usher, the Black Eyed Peas, and Kelly Rowland — Ebo Taylor's influence stretches further than most people realise. EBOFEST 2026 Events:📍 22nd May — Jazz Café, London📍 10th July — The JAGO, London🌍 27th–28th August — Saltpond, Ghana More info: www.ebofest.com Afro Soul Stories is hosted by Sewor Okudzeto — exploring the roots, rhythms, and creative journeys of African and diaspora artists, where music meets memory and culture meets innovation.

Afro Soul Stories, hosted by Sewor Okudzeto, shines a spotlight on artists of African heritage across the diaspora. Through the podcast, he explores the journeys, music, and cultural connections of these creators, celebrating their artistry and resilience. With a deep love for Afro Fusion Music, Sewor brings their stories to life, bridging African roots with a global audience. Full Video Episodes available on YouTube

Creator

Hosted by Sewor Okudzeto
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

33
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Hosted by Sewor Okudzeto
Show Website

Afro Soul Stories

Music

Music

Updated Semiweekly