This summer saw the return of the unique collaboration between Ghanain xylophonist Isaac Birituro and British singer-songwriter Sonny Johns and his band of live musicians, AKA The Rail Abandon. Having created something of a buzz back in 2019 with their debut albumKalba- gaining support along the way fromGilles Peterson,Cerys MatthewsandTom Ravenscroftto name but a few - and after something of a hiatus, the combo released their new LP, entitledSmall Small, in July of this year.
The album received global radio, DJ and tastemaker support with singleSenyeclaiming a spot onBBC 6Music’s A-listand receiving plenty of love fromLauren Laverne,Jamz Supernova,Craig Charlesand just about everyone on the station!

“Wah Wah 45s bringing us that heat. I love them as a label.” Jamz Supernova
“Perfection.” Annie Mac
The follow up single, entitledDoniyan, is another high energy offering, brimming with positivity, as Sonny explains:
“Doniyansimply means ‘The Universe’ or ‘The World’. No matter who you are in this world you need to be nice, to help one another and live a good life.”
And likeSenye, which featured Ghanain vocalist Wiyaala,Doniyanalso shines a light on that country’s unsung musical royalty.Queen Ayeshawas born in Accra, though her heritage is Kusasi from the Upper East region of Ghana, bordering Togo and Burkina Faso. She is an actress and singer working in Accra and her own music is a cross between traditional styles and dancehall aimed at impacting on people's lives, both young and old.
As well as radio friendly versions of the track, this package also features a highly intense and uplifting club remix from Texas based DJ and producer,DJ Angola. A specialist in turning originals into dance floor gold, Angola has worked his magic over the past couple of decades on The White Stripes, Outkast, Antibalas, Jungle Brothers and many more. Here, he turnsDoniyaninto a relentless four-to-the-floor banger that’s already doing plenty of damage by those in the know.
Small Smallis a very Ghanaian saying, a direct translation to English, which is used in a wide variety of contexts to mean ‘bit by bit,’ ‘one step at a time’ or ‘slow and steady’. Sonny was first introduced to the phrase on his first trip to Ghana in 2016, when he met Isaac in Kalba, and the phrase popped up over and over ever since.
“The album is about loss, frustration and struggle, but it’s also about the light at the end of the tunnel; about overcoming difficulties to find a brighter future and no matter what separates us, whether that be language, culture, continents or boarders, when we listen to each other and learn from each other, there’s really not much that separates us. So from everyone involved, here’s to a brighter future.” Sonny Johns