E31: Obase-Aboli — Where Is Home for a Diaspora Musician?

What does home mean when your music has carried you across three continents? Cameroonian balafonist, composer and music educator Obase-Aboli joins Sewor Okudzeto on Afro Soul Stories to talk highlife, belonging and the business of music.

Obase-Aboli's journey runs from Cameroon to Abu Dhabi, Ghana and now the UK. He explains how he plays two balafons side by side — one tuned for the "white keys", one for the "black keys" — so he can play every note with a full band.

He talks about why four years in Ghana and its highlife tradition reshaped his sound, how Cameroon holds nearly every form of balafon found across the continent, and why musicians need to understand that music is a business with a brand behind it. We also talk about his band Ban'tikar – The African Spy Band and the question at the heart of their new project: what happens when you're not fully home here, and no longer fully home there? 📺 See the balafon in action — watch the full video episode on YouTube: [ADD YOUTUBE LINK] 🎵 Follow Obase-Aboli Instagram: @obaseaboliofficial Website: 🎧 Follow Afro Soul Stories so you never miss an episode, and leave a rating — it helps new listeners find conversations with artists shaping the sound of the African diaspora worldwide. 🎙️ About Afro Soul Stories Afro Soul Stories, hosted by Sewor Okudzeto, explores the roots, rhythms and creative journeys of African and diaspora artists — where music meets memory and culture meets innovation. 📺 YouTube: @Afro-Soul-Stories 📸 Instagram: @afrosoulstories | @sewor_music 🌍 | ✉️ admin@ | sewor@