Wanlov Getting Personal

What a year for Ghanaian MC Wanlov the Kubolor! First, his group FOKN BOIS dropped its comic hip hop opera on the film festival circuit. Now, he’s written an experimental album that shows a more personal side.

Wanlov the Kubolor’s first album Green Card was a witty political commentary on American immigrant life.  Yellowcard, his sophomore effort, critiqued government corruption disguised by the South African Worldcup. On Browncard — African Gypsy he adds a surprising thematic layer: Roma, or Gypsy, music.  The move is drawn from his personal life – Kubolor is half-Romanian, and Roma music is deeply weaved into Romanian traditional culture. In this album, he looks for connections between his disparate cultures, and often succeeds.

Drawing from his Romanian side, Wanlov samples accordion solos, interrupts his rhymes with violin solos, and raps over driving marching band rhythms, On the title track “African Gypsy,” Nigerian singer-songwriter Keziah Jones sings over Balkan-flavored guitars, and the result is a soundtrack for caravaning through the Transylvanian countryside. A Romanian rapper Skizzo Skillz even guests on the track “Romania.” For the record, it isn’t our favorite.  A highlife song with a Gypsy background over a danceclub beat, Wanlov’s sly, subtle delivery gets lost in the mix.

The album’s best tracks showcase Wanlov’s wise trickster persona — which tended to appear in songs with subtler Gypsy notes.  On “Spr Mi Dat” (“Spare Me That”), he calls himself the Gypsy Fela, and it’s not far from the truth — the horns pop against the hip hop beat, and his English pidgen staccatos through the song. The record’s unexpected gem is “Pentru Mama” (“For Mama”), an indie folk ballad to his mom.  In Romanian, he sings a highlife melody over guitar riffs, and the result is simple yet intimate.  Hand-clapping and finger snaps complement the African percussion instruments, which stay low-key throughout.

Wanlov is a wanderer, and his name shows it.  Wanlov’s first name comes from his American nickname, “One Love,” and Kubolor means “vagabond” in Ga, a local dialect in Accra.  Blurring boundaries and speaking to all audiences, Wanlov is making a play to be a global interpreter — the Manu Chao of hip hop.  In Browncard — African Gypsy, he draws from the trembling violins of his motherland and comes up with an African mix that’s all his own.