Emoshoon Ophy Breaks Into The Soul With A Mix of Afro Pop That’s Infectious

Emoshoon Ophy is one of the coolest acts I’ve been given the pleasure of listening to in recent months. They have found a way to mix several genres that I love and evoke the same power that makes Ozomatli, Damian Marley, and so many others work so well. Here you get something that cannot be housed in just the reggae genre, because it’s not. It’s not really pop either, and though it has some serious soul, it’s not really fair to call it that either. What you get from the sum of the parts here is a fusion of rhythm and blues, afro-beat, afro pop, and mixes of reggae here and there that are all working together to present a world music sound that I could not get out of my head.

There’s a sense of world music up front, but there’s so much more when you listen to “I Dey Fine” a song that uses some pathos that come across the ska, two tone genre at times. It feels like you’re on an international trip, or you’re at a soccer stadium waiting for the beginning of the World Cup, as it reaches globally within one track. Other stand out tracks include “Wajo” and “Valentime”, which are just some of the musical compositions that get you moving.

Emoshoon Ophy does so many little things to create an even flow of musical prowess that you’re not going to find anywhere else. As stated above, the genres mixed here are unique and give you a real sense of musical theory, like jazz at times, but so much more. I found myself trying to figure out what parts I loved best, as there’s something intangible here and something that I just love about world music as a whole. From the lyrics to the production, you get a sense of passion in music you don’t always get with 1 genre candidates.

If you’re a fan of afro-beat, pop, and even soul music, you’ll love this eclectic blend from Emoshoon Ophy. Check them out on reverbnation here, or soundcloud here, I definitely find them to be very interesting musically. I still can’t get “I Dey Fine” out of my head. Don’t miss out.

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