Hi, my name is Bnnyhunna. I’m an artist, multi-instrumentalist, producer and creative director from Ghanaian descent.
I recently released a new song called “Traffic”. The title of the track is a metaphor for transitioning from one point to another and feeling conflicted whilst this transition is going on.
It all started with my debut EP from last year called SINTHA, which consists of 4 tracks. That project was the amalgamation of me being a multi-instrumentalist, producer and an artist.
I explored various electronic percussion sounds, hip hop drum samples, synthesizers and horn sections. Right after I dropped my EP, I started making new demos, looking for a sound that dives deeper into my creative essence.
Because of my love for drums I started experimenting with drumbreaks. After digging into my enormous vault of samples, I stumbled upon the drumbreak that you hear in “Traffic”. The steady rhythm of that specific drumbreak really moved me.
It created a foundation for me to experiment with other sounds, because the drums were very consistent. I found a beautiful saxophone sample which leads to the chorus and center point of the song. When I made this demo, I intuitively saved it as “Traffic”, which subconsciously narrated how I was feeling in that particular moment. Like I was stuck in traffic.
Over the following months, I did not really pay attention to the demo… I was busy playing a lot of gigs because of the positive reception of my first project. Because of this schedule, I neglected going to the studio a lot. Finally, nearly a year after I made the demo, I listened back to the song and realized that I had to finish it. Which I did.
During the rehearsal for my North Sea Jazz Festival performance, I presented the song to my band, which they loved. Although the process of the video was still ongoing, and I had not finished writing the song yet. Luckily the band gave me new energy to finish writing the song.
The short movie for “Traffic” is a story inspired by my Ghanaian roots and the self-consciousness of being a diasporic Ghanaian, which can be self-conflicting from time to time. I narrated the story of Yaa Asentwaa and her brother.
Her brother was sent to exile when the British empire tried to infiltrate and break up the Ashanti kingdom. Whilst doing this, they wanted to capture the Golden Stool. It’s believed that this chair fell from the heavens and was summoned by a great Ghanaian priest called Okomfo Anokye.
This chair was essentially the most important thing for the Ashanti people. But through Queen Yaa Asentwaa, who stood up, the chair remained in the property of the Ashanti’s.
In the film, I narrate the role of her brother who returns to Ghana and reconnects with his sister after not seeing her for years. She shows me around town and gives me a brief recap of how life has been since I left.
The video also shows flashbacks of a cold environment that refer to how life was when Yaa Asentwaa’s brother was in exile. The scenes of me running and being surrounded by a group – who seem to have no energy left anymore – are referring to the self-conflicting battle of growing up in a European country, whilst being of Ghanaian descent.
This video has been a journey of reconnection and deeper understanding of self. It’s also been the very first video that I’ve co-directed myself, and moreover, captures the emotion of the song in a crazy way. To say that I am proud would be an understatement.
I’m glad to invite you into my universe through my track called “Traffic”.
Watch the video for “Traffic” below!
