From June 11 to 25, 2026, Ghanaian band Santrofi completed a nine-performance Japan tour spanning cities across the country, their eagerly anticipated return following their debut Min-On tour in 2024.
Santrofi is a big band whose sound is rooted in highlife, Ghana’s celebrated popular music genre born from the fusion of Western and West African traditional music and inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2025, as well as a contemporary take on Afrobeat. Together, these influences have made the group one of Ghana’s most distinctive musical exports.
This year’s program drew from the band’s latest album, with performances of Making Moves, Domebi (Give Back the Love), and Amina — songs that reflect the rhythms of everyday Ghanaian life. Uptempo beats, the bold sound of brass instruments, and the band’s energetic vocals and dancing brought the audience to their feet night after night. A particular highlight came when the group performed a special Japanese-tour arrangement of Tsuki no Sabaku in both English and Japanese — a surprise that drew cheers from across the hall and made for one of the tour’s most memorable exchanges.
Audience members captured the experience vividly. One attendee noted that the bright sound stayed with them long after the concert, and that the band’s beaming energy onstage brought to mind the founder’s vision of the 21st century as Africa’s century. Another described being swept away by the sheer power of the music, adding that being able to dance along made it all the more joyful — and that Ghana felt, somehow, closer.
At the June 15 performance in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Mr. Francis Thalamus DOE, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Japan, attended alongside diplomatic representatives from 28 countries. At the close of the concert, Mr. DOE presented flowers to the artists as the audience responded with warm applause.
The tour concluded with the final performance in Hokkaido on June 25. Members of the band reflected on the experience with evident feeling. One noted that the generous applause of so many audience members had made the performances genuinely joyful, and that once again encountering the warmth of Japanese audiences left them simply grateful. Another expressed that the encouragement from Min-On audiences had given the band strength, and a renewed commitment to connecting people around the world through music.
The group departed Japan on Friday, June 26.
Min-On extends its heartfelt appreciation to all those who attended the performances, as well as to everyone whose support contributed to the success of the tour.
Santrofi
・Robert Koomson / Vocals, Keyboards
・Emmanuel Ofori / Leader, Bass
・Bernard Gyamfi / Trombone
・Dominic Quarchie / Guitar
・Emmanuel Adu Agyei / Drums
・Emmanuel Kuntu Blankson / Percussion
・Norbert Wonkyi / Trumpet
