YOUTH STAND UNITED

In 2015, Optimos Autonomous Africa label released Youth Stand Up!, a triangular recording project hatched at Glasgows Green Door Studio that brought together young musicians from Belize, Ghana and Glasgow for ten tracks of cross-cultural collaboration. The result was an infectious cocktail of traditional Caribbean and West African rhythms, hip hop, highlife and Glaswegian post-punk, featuring contributions from Optimo Music regulars Golden Teacher and Whilst, among others.The proceeds from that project went directly back to the youth groups in Ghana and Belize, helping the musicians from Ghanas Tafi Cultural Institute build a recording studio and performance space in their village.Two years later, a grant from Creative Scotlands Open Fund spawned the sequel to Youth Stand Up!: Youth Stand United, recorded both at Green Door and at TCIs new studio in Ghana (with Golden Teachers Laurie Pitt at the controls), and mixed by Green Doors Stuart and Emily Evans.Youth Stand United features backing tracks contributed by members of Golden Teacher, Pu$$y Mothers, Whilst, Kaputt, and Sordid Sound System, with vocals provided by the musicians from TCI. Over 6 songs, it oscillates from the left-field disco of Diloeshutubui to the Juju-electro odyssey of Gidi to the Joe-Meek-meets-William Onyeabor space age gospel pop of Nobody Knows.Proceeds from Youth Stand United will go towards a scholarship fund for musicians from Tafi Atome, Ghana.