The two producers unveil a short but extremely broad project in its mix of influences.
“Some people might say that Sango and I are from two different worlds sonically”, Juls admitted on his social media. Indeed, the two producers don’t operate in the same scene. Juls, British-Ghanaian beatmaker, has been leaving his mark on contemporary West African music since the 2010s.
Oscillating between azonto, hiplife and especially afrobeats, he is known for his collaborations with the leaders of the genre (Mr Eazi, Burna Boy, Maleek Berry) and also for his solo projects: Leap of Faith, Colour, and lately Happy Place. His three EPs reveal a growing ambition to explore other genres like bossa nova on “Sweetie Odo”, amapiano on “Soweto Blues”, reggae on “Wishes” …
On the other hand, Sango is an American producer based in Seattle and known for his interpretations of Brazilian funk, an electronic sound dominating the favela parties from Rio to Sao Paulo. Although he has dedicated the trilogy Da Rocinha and the project De Mim, Pra Você to the genre, he is also known for his hip-hop and RnB productions, having collaborated with artists such as Tinashe or Bryson Tiller.
The title Fufu and Grits is self-explanatory, paying tribute to two typical dishes from Ghana and southern United States. The two tracks, “Ritmo Coco” and “Angele Ni Fie”, are two instrumental journeys that evolve minute by minute, from Ghana to Brazil, from afrobeats to funk, from house to amapiano. The fusion of the two universes is successful and logical. According to Juls, it is a marriage between his “African way of life” and Sango’s “American way of life“, similar because both were “exposed to great black music dating back from the 60s“. The two tracks were also accompanied by energetic visuals, perfectly embodying the jazzy sounds of the project.
