Yeke Yeke

It was recorded for Akwaba Beach in 1987 at Studio Vénus, with Nick Patrick producing and recording and Mory Kanté on vocals and composition; the session also used a large band including keyboards, drums, percussion, horns, strings, and backing vocals. The album’s credits identify Nick Parker on keyboards/programming, Roland Kerridge on drums/drum programming, Daniel Pabœuf on saxophone, Moussa Cissokho on percussion, and other session players. Released on Barclay in 1987, it became the breakthrough single from Akwaba Beach and a major European dance hit. It reached number 29 in the UK singles chart and later went to number 1 on the UK dance chart, helping turn Mory Kanté into an international star. The track remained a club standard through the 1990s and 2000s, especially via Hardfloor, Martyn Young, and other remixes, and it has been sampled and covered by multiple artists. Its enduring reach is reflected in the many later versions catalogued by MusicBrainz and WhoSampled.