For most musicians, the impetus to create springs from an early and possibly intuitive mind/ears/hands relationship in response to appealing melodies. As in, "I wanna do that!"

For African singer-songwriter Okaidja Afroso, though, the mind/ears part of the equation originally connected with his feet. Born into a family of musicians and storytellers living on Ghana's west coast, Afroso says he was fascinated from a young age with ... dancing.

"Yes, my first introduction to music was through dancing — even though my dancing was not good at all!" laughs Afroso, on the phone from Portland, Oregon, where's he lived the past 20 years. "There was nothing in mind, musically, other than it got my attention and I just wanted to dance to it. Eventually, of course, I started paying more attention to the music itself — the writing and singing and playing. But even now I still approach music from a dancing perspective."

Afroso is internationally renowned for his fusion of West Africa's palm wine music — a percussive and highly melodic acoustic guitar style that evolved over centuries from local sailors and fishermen — with other types of world music. The latest of his four albums is in fact called "Palm Wine Music," and Afroso appears is support of the release tonight at Connecticut College. The concert, part of the school's Guest Series Performances, is open to the public.

To hear Afroso's music is to be transported. There are confluences of always pulsing rhythms, trippy acoustic guitar figures and inventive chord highways, and his voice — often in his native language — is a warm tenor given to floating melody. Before his solo career, he started professionally as a vocalist, percussionist and dancer with the esteemed Ghana Dance Ensemble, then spent valuable time with the influential Obo Addy, whose successful attempts to cross-stitch African and Western musical styles have resonated world-wide.

In conversation, Afroso's vibrant personality and buoyant accent exude good will, and his thoughtful answers and passion are often accompanied by exclamation points of laughter. Here are excerpts from the interview, edited for clarity and space.

Q: Clearly, despite your self-effacing comments about your early attempts, you eventually got better at dancing. Talk a bit about how it segued into writing and performing your own songs.

A: I still approach music even now from a dancing perspective. "What would this dance sound like on a drum or guitar?" I had to figure it all out because that's just the way it started with me. Dance first, then music. I had no choice. And I have to say I'm happy it worked that way.

Q: A lot of musical artists find a niche and they're happy to stay there. Others undergo a maturation process or a natural growth from album to album. How would you describe your artistic development over the course of four LPs?

A: It's funny. I must say that, in every project that I do, there's always a change — a little shift with each one where I refine myself — and there hasn't been one album where I think, "Well, I'll stay on this style for a while." And I'm finishing a new album called "Jatu Monor," which in English means "ancestral spirit," and it's a project that explores in music and video and lyrics the phrasing and language and sounds of the fishermen who originally made this music. I'm excited about it.

Q: You've lived in Portland for two decades. To me, I've perceived a slowly dawning awareness and influence of African culture through its music. From your perspective, do you feel similarly?

A: Yeah, I think so, in the broad perspective. When you think of (West African musical styles) highlife or Afrobeat, a lot of that has slipped into the music of America. But there's a contrast with what we do with palm wine music, where we're using traditional percussion with new songs to write and sing the same stories of generations older than me. I want to elevate and introduce those traditions for new audiences and share a light and airy feel and sound.

Q: In that sense, has living in Portland, which is a hotbed of creativity and very influential musically, had much of an influence on your art?

A: To be honest, I would say not so much — because I'm not looking to take something from this music scene. I'm still trying to explore my roots and those of similar scenes — Afro-Peruvian, Afro-Haitian and so on — so, even though I'm in an exciting city, I'm still focused on a lot more in my own past and the roots I want to connect with.

Q: Through streaming and social media, we can now access more interesting artists in a wider variety of musical styles than at any point in history. At the same time, record labels and the press and radio are all focused on a very rigid and formulaic template that precludes most of what's happening. Obviously, your music doesn't fit the blueprint for mainstream audiences — at least according to the consultants and labels. And you're handling your next release independently. To that end, there are plenty of avenues to get your music out. Is that the easiest and best way now?

A: I wouldn't say it's easier. It's doable. There's a reason why labels are mainstream and can push music to the right places — but that can be positive and negative. They have large and recognizable platforms and can reach audiences you wouldn't on your own. But a lot of labels are not really about elevating the artist for the long term. They take a lot of the artists' (publishing and performing) rights and I think I'd only sign with a label if I could find one that cares about my career as an artist and protects my rights.

Q: You spend a lot of time working with young persons and touring colleges. Is it fair to say those are ideal target audiences in terms of being open to new musical and cultural ideas?

A: I knock on wood because I've been super lucky in general because the style and genre and cultural aspects of my work have been warmly and enthusiastically received everywhere I go. People want to learn more and hear more and maybe they make it a goal to visit Ghana or Africa. When we go to institutes of higher learning or kids' schools, they're very excited about what we do and are open to it.

That's so gratifying because, as an artist and creative person, we create not just songs or albums to listen in the moment and then put away, but we're trying to create work that would make someone want to explore beyond and find out about the cultural and historical aspects behind it all.

If you go

Who: Okaidja Afroso

What: Renowned West African singer/songwriter focusing on the palm wine music style

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight

Where: Evans Hall, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Ave., New London

How much: $20, $18 senior citizens, faculty and staff, $7 Conn College students, $10 other students with ID

Good to know: All visitors to the Connecticut College campus, regardless of vaccination status, are expected to wear masks indoors at all times. Visitors must also fill out and sign an Attestation Form that states they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a negative test and do not have any COVID-19 symptoms. Forms will be available at the event.

For more information: (860) 439-2787, www.conncoll.edu/arts-culture