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    Limited vinyl LP with bespoke artwork from our in-house designer Animisiewasz. Comes complete with lyric sheet.

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1.
Dondomo 04:06
Yi nye na dondomo li jiele Yi nye na dondomo li uuro Yi nye na dondomo ko tuo kuma No point in falling out now You were the one that wanted this and you were the one that wouldn’t listen To all our fears and doubts now You are the one that won’t admit that you are the one that got us in this No point in being proud now You are the one who won’t say you’re wrong, you are that one that won’t back down You said you’d sort this out now You wanted something more than this, so you are the one who got us in this I guess we’re where we are now We are the ones your lies have hurt and we are the ones to makes this work Let’s put our egos down now We’ll go around and round like this until we admit we should have listened
2.
Aha zin kono yee Niezaa kon kan-yee yee Mhmm kono yee Kon kan-yee yee Aha zin kono yee niezen kon kan-yee yee Ka kaakyee kaayee kaakye N-sunnu n-sunnu ley ie heela wey N-sunnu n-sunnu ley ie bala wey Wee ba bolong lee, Wee ba bolong lee, Wee ba bolong lee rer Ta kang ba wey ie bambi tiane sunnu yaa wee yee Yamou ban gaa Yamou ban zaa gaa yaa Mhmm yan mou Yen ban gaa yaa Yen you ban gaa Yen you ban zaa gaa yaa Ga ga gaa yaa gaa yaa gaa yaa Ley ba way Ley babbling waykey Mhm ley ba way Ley ba way Naba ley ba way Ley ba wayke Way way way ke ke Ba moure bill beko bey Ba moure bill be na ban me Ba moure, Ba moure, Ba moure bill be na baa yall Ba moure bill be na baa mommaa Mommaa, mommaa, mommaa Ba moure bill be na ban merrer
3.
I count on your conscience that my efforts are named As you count on my hand for the things that you make I’m not your first and you won’t be my last But it’s hard to move on when there’s a knife in my back Is this yours? Ta soo maa yele, Ta Soo Maa Yele x2 Foo ko tuo ma maal-yong, ti ta soo maa yele Ya ya ble Ta Soo Maa Yele You say it’s not you just the game we’ve to play But your shadows produced when you stand in the way What’s mine's yours and what’s yours is the same What’s a word between friends when it’s only a name Till it’s yours It’s not about the money That’s not why we’ve done it I just want what I’ve done to be given credit I’m in debts to people you see There’s no we without them And no us without me
4.
Told You So 05:52
Sit, breathe slow It’s just us here, nowhere to go yet Though it’s far, know it will come Empty our hearts, fill up our lungs And there’s a sign on the wall This could be so much more I can feel in the air this is coming I don’t want to tell you I told you so, but... Now, your shadow’s here Our mouths coloured blue from fear that’s within There was a sign on the wall There was time to do more Do you believe we could see this was coming? There’s nothing to say but I told you so, now
5.
Dooye 02:39
Dooye, konkomo le di dooye Dooye, bikpibe le di dooye Dooye, a jorn le di dooye When you met me Did you see me Or do you see what you could get When I told you Did you hear me Did you conveniently forget I’m not OK with this Did you set out To destroy me Did you do it for a bet If I told you Would you be sorry Is it something you’d regret I’m not OK with this, but you don’t win I’m not OK with this, but you don’t win
6.
Allenco - Allencosonic - Allenco Bàbá Àjànàkú tó re lé Ikú d'óró Ikú sè'kà - Ikú mú Doctor lo Sù un re O, Doctor Oládipúpò Allen Ó dè d'àrìnàkò - Ó dè d'ojú àlá Má j'okùn Má j'okùn - Má j'èkòlóóó Ò run re Oh Tony Allen - Jeun tí wón je l'óde òrun Fún gbogbo isé t'é e ti se sílè - A ò le gbà gbéeyin lái lái Omo á s'elé d'èyín - Ebí á s'elé d'èyín - Òré á s'elé d'èyín Gbo gbo aráyé á s'elé d'èyín - Tí tí l'aiyé ó ma s'elé d'èyín À t'omo À t'ebi á sè'ràntíi yin - Tí tí l'aiyé ó ma s'elé d'èyín À t'omo À t'ebi á sè'ràntíi yin - Tí tí tí l'a ó ma s'elé d'èyín Gbo gbo aráyé á sè'ràntíi yin - Tí tí l'aiyé ó ma s'elé d'èyín À t'omo À t'ebi á sè'ràntíi yin - Tí tí tí l'a ó ma s'elé d'èyín Gbo gbo aráyé á sè'ràntíi yin
7.
Ma malƐ sum tisifum Ma malƐ sum tisibaa Maa tisifum siege wosaa Ma malƐ sum tisifum yee Doniyanla doniyanla doniyanla Ma tisifum siege wosaa Ma malƐ sum tisifum yee Ma bigisi fum nogim Ma bode fum yelaa Din ka maa male wosaa Main fum mani fum mani fum pugridaa Ma male sum tisid nidip Ka baa yodim bentee Ma male sum tisibaa Ka ba le sim bentee Doniyanla doniyanla doniyanla Ma lep din ka fu nyan male Fu ya be nogim nidip Ka male din mare Fuyaa ben nogim taaba Ka maa din naree Nogimaa nogimaa nogimaa Nogim nidip baa Male p din ka fu na yan malee Doniyanla ani agohh ni teng 3x Sag see bƐ ka fu male bentee
8.
Bawa 03:32
It’s not the water or walls or the season But the thoughts and feelings of fear without reason Stopping us coming together Jang can be tinso ni be We’ve come to repeat our foe’s misdemeanours Now we run to them for our hopes and our freedoms Helping us coming together Banyere yo tin euro kolbara da Gna ma song banyere yo ti neuro kolbara da
9.
Sivukile ha sivukile.... Ekuseni sivuka neculo Ingane zijabulile, sivukile, sivukile Ekuseni sivuka nethemba elisha Ohh amaphupho amasha.... Ilanga liphumile, oh izinkanyezi zilele Isikhathi sokuvuka sesifikile Vukani bo x2
10.
Kontomo 04:07
Follow Me into place void of fake news I’ll show you And you can decide what’s your own truth It’s not you It’s everyone else that’s the problem They hold you down In here all their lies are forgotten Kontomo li fere ma eng lo woo Aaa ..yee.... Angyee! Kontomo li fere ma eng nyor woo Aaa ..yee.... Angyee! Kontomo li fere ma eng ko nuo Aaa ..yee.... Angyee! x3 I saved you I made sure your worries were all gone It’s my turn now So worship the ground that I’ve walked on Now you’re here One thing I’m the only god you need now How can we not win?

about

This summer sees the return of the unique collaboration between Ghanain xylophonist Isaac Birituro and British singer-songwriter Sonny Johns, AKA The Rail Abandon. Having created something of a buzz back in 2019 with their debut album Kalba - gaining support along the way from Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews and Tom Ravenscroft to name but a few - after something of a hiatus, the duo teased us earlier this spring with the Lapaz EP in preparation for their new LP.

Small Small is a very Ghanaian saying, a direct translation to English, which is used in a wide variety of contexts to mean ‘bit by bit,’ ‘one step at a time’ or ‘slow and steady’. Sonny was first introduced to the phrase on his first trip to Ghana in 2016, when he met Isaac in Kalba, and the phrase popped up over and over ever since. There didn’t seem to be a word or phrase more appropriate as a name for this album, as Sonny explains:

“Any second album is a difficult process – how do you make something that follows on from the first but is different enough? It’s particularly difficult when your first album was made under the unique conditions of having never played together, in unusual surroundings. It is also difficult when you live on different continents from each other. To add to those difficulties, we had to make a record in the middle of a pandemic.
Fortunately, just before the world was locked down, we’d written and recorded the basis of the album over three days while on tour in Germany in October 2019. Then we went about adding our own musicians to the recordings in Ghana and the UK respectively, bringing everyone together via the internet instead of physically. Everyone involved had been hit dramatically during this period, some physically, some financially, all emotionally.

The rise of the BLM movement during this period also made a big impact on a project designed to unite people, bring equality and encourage mutual respect. The death of Tony Allen also hit us hard early in this period too - Tony (also of maternal Ghanaian heritage) was a person who united West African and European musics and cultures seamlessly and was instrumental in bringing together (indirectly) the music of Isaac Birituro & The Rail Abandon.

So, we finished this album over the intense year of 2020 influenced by the difficulties that we, and the world, have been through. The album is about loss, frustration and struggle, but it’s also about the light at the end of the tunnel; about overcoming difficulties to find a brighter future and no matter what separates us, whether that be language, culture, continents or boarders, when we listen to each other and learn from each other, there’s really not much that separates us. So from everyone involved, here’s to a brighter future.”

credits

released July 8, 2022

Isaac Birituro – Xylophone, Vocals
Sonny Johns – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Vocals
Yuval Wetzler – Drums, Electronic Drums, Percussion
Raphael Clarkson – Trombone, Prepared Piano, Electric Piano, Keyboards
Elliot Galvin – Synthesisers
Laura Jurd – Trumpet
Mark Lockheart – Tenor Sax
Joe Wright – Tenor Sax (Ta Soo Maa Yele)
Klebens Michelet – Baritone Sax (Fún Tony)
Kasim Kada – Kpanlogo
Dela Bofri – Flute
Aminu Amadou – Dundo
Zosia Jagodzinska - Cello
Hellen Dompkier – Vocals, Choir Lead
Queen Ayesha – Vocals (Doniyan)
Dele Sosimi – Vocals (Fún Tony)
Noshie – Vocals (Sivukile)
Nokwanda – Additional Voice (Sivukile)
Wiyaala – Vocals (Senye)
Emmanuel Dery Kuusani – Vocals (Dondomo & Ta Soo Maa Yele)
Beda Ehrensperger – Backing Vocals (Doniyan)
The Birifor Choir: Helen Domkpier, Angelina Ankaarma, Elizabeth Naamwinekumah, Emmanuella Domo, Emmanuel Dery Kuusani, Isaac Birituro

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The Rail Abandon London, UK

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