About the Album
Sounds of Heritage is the debut studio album by Cameroonian singer-songwriter AWU Acapero, also known as AWU Sing Song. Released on November 12, 2021, the 15-track project marked an important chapter in AWU’s musical development and introduced his distinctive Kossa-Fusion sound to a wider audience. The album was released through Deekay House / Numero Eight and distributed internationally by Africori.
Rather than simply presenting a collection of songs, Sounds of Heritage was built around AWU’s desire to reconnect with his Cameroonian musical roots while expressing them through a contemporary sound. AWU describes Kossa-Fusion as an expression of Makossa combined with Afrobeat and elements of other musical genres.
The Story Behind “Sounds of Heritage”
The album represents AWU’s return to the musical influences that shaped him. His concept was to explore Makossa, reconnect with where he comes from and then combine those traditional influences with contemporary African sounds and his own artistic personality.
This approach resulted in what he calls Kossa-Fusion — a modern interpretation of Makossa that does not attempt to reproduce the genre exactly as it existed in earlier generations, but instead places its rhythms, melodies and cultural identity within a broader contemporary African sound.
The project was also the result of an extended creative process. Africori described the album as having been approximately two years in the making before its release, with “Mola” serving as one of the records used to introduce the project to listeners.
The 15-Track Album
Sounds of Heritage contains 15 songs, including solo performances, collaborations and remixes. The project opens with “Blow Your Horn (Intro)” and moves through tracks such as “Levels,” “Criminal Case,” “Na Wa,” “Play Along,” “Melody,” “Someone Tonight,” “The Same,” “Bonamoussadi,” “Waka Me,” “Mola,” “Levels Remix,” “Another Way,” “Owe” and “Yayayo.”
The album includes collaborations with Phil Bill on “Criminal Case” and Orijina Mara on the “Levels Remix.” “Yayayo,” one of AWU’s best-known records, closes the project and connects the album to an earlier stage of his catalogue.
Sounds of Heritage – Tracklist
- Blow Your Horn (Intro)
- Levels
- Criminal Case feat. Phil Bill
- Na Wa
- Play Along
- Melody
- Someone Tonight
- The Same
- Bonamoussadi
- Waka Me
- Mola
- Levels Remix feat. Orijina Mara
- Another Way
- Owe
- Yayayo
The Kossa-Fusion Sound
At the heart of Sounds of Heritage is AWU’s Kossa-Fusion concept. The album draws from the musical heritage of Cameroon while incorporating Afrobeat and other contemporary African influences.
AWU has spoken about his early appreciation for Makossa and artists including Sam Fan Thomas, Ben Decca and Jacky Kingue. Through the album, those influences are reinterpreted rather than simply reproduced, giving AWU a musical direction that connects heritage with contemporary African music.
This fusion of old and new is what gives the album its identity. Sounds of Heritage is rooted in Cameroon, but its production and songwriting are designed to communicate beyond one region or generation.
“Mola” and the Album’s New Direction
“Mola” was one of the key songs used to introduce Sounds of Heritage to audiences ahead of the album’s release. Produced by PhilBill, the song was released as a single in September 2021
