By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A group of talented musicians led by bassist Emmanuel Ofori recently proved the revitalization of Ghanaian highlife is firmly on course as they progressively exhibited what may be termed as “neo-highlife”.

Performing at the Goethe-Institut in Accra, the band showcased highlife with swift and skipping rhythms alongside a pristine sound quality that revealed a tight and stretched stage coordination.

With rigorous rehearsals for an impeding Europe tour, the group offered the audience a topic for discussion on the future of Ghanaian Highlife as they showcased a massive display of raw talent, which is fueled by a passion to preserve Ghanaian musical heritage.

Comprising multi-instrumentalists who alternate in their arrangements during recording and live performances, the band exposed some sort of a musical liberation as they waxed from diverse genres with Highlife as a foundation.

With Dominic Quarchie (guitar), Prince Larbi (drums), Emmanuel Agyeman (keyboard), Robert Koomson (lead vocals), Norbet Arthur (trumpet), Bernard Gyamfi (trombone) and Emmanuel Kuntu-Blankson (percussion), the band did put up a robust show that elicited constant applause.

Also on stage was the veteran highlife musician Anthony Kobina Yeboah (A.K. Yeboah), who brought nostalgic feelings to the elderly members of the crowd with a brilliant rendition of classic highlife tunes from the 1950s and 60s.

Full of energy, the 80-year-old living legend surprised the audience with his dancing skills while interspersing his performance with anecdotes of life in Ghana prior to independence.

Santrofi has an album “Alewa” to its credit – indeed, it reveals a great deal of influences from diverse sources while interweaving the compositions with highlife from different eras.

Goethe-Institut Ghana supported the pre-tour concert, which will take place in five European countries.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Abstract drawings by Isaac Yeboah that are profoundly inspired by tradition, illusion, environment, philosophy and powered by supernatural and enigmatic elements are currently on display at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

Employing the sole use of a black ball point pen, Yeboah takes the viewer on a rather mute journey that follow a thread of experiences, which encompass objective and subjective ideas that tend to breathe life into his works.

Noted for his particular attention to detail, the artist narrates daily occurrences through elaborate abstract forms while appropriating stylized human / animal figures, geometric shapes and vestiges that enable the eye to freely explore layers within his works while re-discovering their own lives.

Trained at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi), Yeboah leaves a great deal of white space in his works thereby allowing them to sparkle despite an uninterrupted use of black ink.

These inspiring pieces possess mystical qualities that tend to transport the viewer to magical places – undeniably, they evoke calm and intriguing feelings at the same time while creating an incredible ambiance.

With delicate lines and dots, the artist has produced a body of work that enter the realm of the sublime, meditation and timelessness, as he takes viewers on a path that enable them to discover his pieces through their own interpretations.

Yeboah, who was shortlisted for the 2017 edition of the Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Art and Barclays L’Atelier Art Respectively, lives and works in the Ghanaian port city of Takoradi. Titled “Mere Reminiscence”, the exhibition was sponsored by Goethe-Institut Ghana. It ends on Monday June 6, 2022.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

The city of Accra was over the weekend turned into a jazz groove with performances in diverse venues during the celebration of International Jazz Day.

Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française, +233 Jazz Bar & Grill, Virtual Hub and Gallery Jazz Lounge among others, hosted magnetic shows that affirmed the unifying power of jazz while highlighting the growing interest in jazz among Ghanaians.

Ghanaian bassist Bright Osei alongside Anthony Ansah, David Miyilor and Nicholas Mettle turned the Goethe-Institut into a jazz den with a brilliant mix of standard jazz, traditional and modern sounds as well as pop and funk that provided patrons with a new interpretation of jazz music.

They charmed the near capacity crowd with solos that were remarkable and formidable – indeed, they proved the fact that they are fully in love with music through effective communication and coordination while sustaining the attention of the audience.

With a remarkable positive energy, Osei who has just returned from a performance tour of Europe, dished out intimate and focused bass lines that resulted in unforced natural sounds and rhythms inundating the stage at the Institut.

Employing old analogue and modern soft synthesizers, drum pads and some local percussions, the “Three O” band led by multi-instrumentalist Kwame Yeboah, mesmerized another capacity audience at the Alliance Française in a concert that formed part of the Société Général Jazz Festival.  

Showcasing his brand of ethno-jazz vividly blended with highlife and electronic music, Yeboah and the trio equally surprised the audience with Yeboah’s peculiar arrangements that definitely brought a new tang and evolution to jazz music.

Confident and focused on stage, the group proved the fact that jazz is not an intellectual theorem but rather a feeling that was clearly indicated by the capacity audience, which included a good number of young Ghanaian and foreign nationals.

GH Jazz Collective, which comprise piano maestro Victor Dey among others, lighted up + 233 Jazz Bar & Grill while singer Yomi Sower as well as the Accra String Quartet enchanted patrons at the Virtual Hub. Gallery Jazz Lounge equally treated jazz lovers with tunes from the jazz collection of its founder Yaw Safori alongside an art exhibition.

Established by UNESCO in 2011 at the initiative of Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, and recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities worldwide every April 30.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

W.O.M.B. – a dance piece choreographed by Julienne Doko that reflect on various issues relating to the female body was recently performed in a number of venues in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

Monitored online by www.artsghana.org, the piece, which involved two other female dancers – Naa Ayele (Ghana) and Meire Santos (Brazil), explored the female creative force and how it manifests itself through movement.

Employing subtle body movements, W.O.M.B. equally touched on the subject of acceptance – indeed, accepting pain, altered body shapes, changes in skin elasticity and the inner / outer transformation of women as they paid glowing tribute to parenthood and the ability to create life. 

Interspersed with agitated movements, the trio interrogated stereotypes through the piece, which was strewn with highly effective imagery while commenting on “stretch marks” – which has assumed negative connotations over the years – despite it being acquired through the process of childbirth.

With a rather bare scenography characterized by lemons littering the stage, the dancers showcased movements that are poignant and compelling while revealing energy, emotion and interwoven layers of well-structured images that managed to keep the attention of viewers.

Clad in low-cut blouses and boxer shorts with colourful African fabrics designed by Charlotte Østergaard, the combination of choreography by Doko and music from Gert Østergaard Pedersen gently echoed and powered messages being transmitted through the performance.

Originally from the Central African Republic, Doko grew up in France where she trained in ballet, jazz and hip hop at different schools in Paris. She equally studied different traditional and contemporary styles of dance such as jazz, traditional / contemporary African / modern dance, samba and Afro-Brazilian in Universities in France, Canada and the United States.

Trained at the Noyam African Dance Academy in Ghana, Ayele has performed in several major dance pieces choreographed by Ghanaian dance guru Prof F. Nii Yartey and toured in Europe and other African countries while working on diverse projects in a number of countries.  

A graduate in modern and contemporary dance from Escola de Dance / FUNCEB in Salvador Bahia (Brazil), Santos’ knowledge about Samba and Afro-Brazilian traditional dances makes her the top reference in Brazilian dance in Copenhagen. Indeed, she created Casa da Cultura Afro-Brasileira, which she directed for over a decade.

The performances were funded by Statens Kunstfond, Bikubenfonden, Gramex / Copydan and Nordic Culture Point, Mikkel Søndergaard Kryger and prfrm – produktion og formidling af scenekunst.

Pix – Julie Malmstrøm

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Young singer / songwriter Essi alongside the Essi Band last week electrified an enthusiastic audience with a magnetic poise and stage presence that opened a highlife soiree at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

With a marvelous voice and sleek dancing between romantic lyrics from both traditional and contemporary highlife, the young diva descended into her own world and proved the fact that young Ghanaian musicians are capable of taking highlife a notch higher.

Undeniably, Essi is ready to reach the stars – she is without doubt an amazing performer with a bright future ahead of her – not forgetting her confidence on stage as well as a shrewd knack to engage and sustain the interest of the audience.

Her performance recalls brave and remarkable women including Lola Everet and Charlotte Dada, who radiated energy from the 1960s through their contributions to the development of Ghanaian highlife and the current group of female artists, who have continued to make a sustained and remarkable presence.

Atenteben dynamo Dela Botri surprised the audience as he sang a number of his recent compositions alongside those of the Kumasi Trio, Pat Thomas and the late Nigerian star Sir Victor Uwaifo while interspersing them with brilliant solos from the atenteben flute.

Backed by the Abiza Band, he brought the crowd to his feet through his new songs, which drew heavy inspiration from Afro Beat, Calypso, Palm Wine Highlife and a number of traditional Ghanaian rhythms such as Adowa, Agbadza and Kpanlogo.

Dripping with sweat, acclaimed guitarist Akablay showcased a restructured / intellectual music language as he played highlife that has been heavily spiked with Kundum rhythms from the Nzema area of the Western region.

In recent years, a festival titled Kundum has been transformed into a spectacular sight of silhouettes, bright nights and a wonderful ambience filled with highlife rhythms as waves from the Atlantic Ocean gently pound beaches, which are replete with diverse musical and dance performances.  

Goethe-Institut Ghana supported the performance.

Pix – Matthew Hansen

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

AKKA Project will from Sunday April 23 to Sunday November 27, 2022 showcase works of selected African artists in Venice – a famous art venue located in North Eastern Italy.

Dubbed “African Identities”, the show – which will run during the duration of Venice Biennial – is aimed at highlighting the importance of the Arts and Artists from the African continent while revealing trends that have emerged in Africa over the past few years.

The maiden edition will focus on the art scene of East African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Mozambique where artists are drawn from many different ethnic groups and cultures as well as talents and styles.

Artists, whose works will be on display include Evans Mbugua, Maina Boniface, Peterson Kamwathi, Elias Mung’ora, Hilda Mumbi Nadia Wamunyu, Allan Kioko, Onyis Martin, Rasto Cyprian, Longinos Nagila, Peteros Ndunde Solomon Luvai and Michael Soy.

Others are Xenson Samson Senkaaba, Donald Wasswa, Patrick N. Karanja, Goncalo Mabunda, Reinata Sadimba, Djive Samuel, Ngule Kiire Yusuf, Ronex Ahimbisbwe, Filipe Branquinho, Matt Kayem, Charles Bhebe and Doddridge Busingye.

Indeed, the AKKA Project aims at gathering and presenting varied artists, including established and young talents under one roof while providing them with an opportunity for much needed interactions and fruitful dialogues.

Undeniably – each country has mastered its unique distinctiveness and has individually bloomed from the fertile soil and risen to diverse original contemporary artists – who masterfully experiment with new subjects, flairs and materials.

AKKA Project aspires to create a unique and enriching experience while allowing visitors to discover and perceive the works and stories by these artists during the entire period of Venice Biennale 2022, which is being curated by the Italian art director Cecilia Alemani.

Initiated in 2016 by the Serbian curator Lidija Kostic Khachatourian, AKKA Project commenced as a commercial art gallery in Dubai (2016) and in Venice (2019) with the objective of promoting artists from Africa and encouraging their growth through exhibitions, art fairs and residencies.

Through other projects such as “Africa & the other 54 countries”, she has contributed to the celebration of the art, culture and cuisine of multiple African countries. In 2019, she curated the exhibition titled “The Past, the Present and the in Between”, at the Pavilion of Mozambique, for the 58^th edition of the Venice Biennial, which featured a number of artists including Goncalo Mabunda, Filipe Branquinho and Mauro Pinto.

Khachatourian equally curated “Inspiring Changes” by Mohamed Amin, a project in collaboration with Salim Amin, whose aim was to create educational interactions (exhibitions and other initiatives) through the vast photographic archive of Mohamed Amin. Currently, she is in the process of opening a third gallery in Switzerland to further support the growth of African artists.

Pix – Courtesy of AKKA Project

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Highlife Festival 2022 – which attracted locals and foreigners alike – ended last Friday at the Alliance Française with politically charged lyrics by the African gypsy Wanlov Kubolor.

Accompanied by subtle guitar lines from Akablay, Kubolor made sharp references to the use of super luxury cars by political leaders, good governance, mismanagement, corruption, the contentious electronic levy and LGBTQI++ rights among others. 

With a cool line up of traditional and contemporary highlife musicians including Akablay, Naana Blu, Trigmatic, Samuel Owusu and Kumi Guitar, the musicians turned the amphitheater of the Alliance Française into a musical groove, where highlife flowed in a continuous stream.

Backed by the V One V Band, the musicians descended into their own world and dished out tunes that moved away from Highlife’s original constructions thereby creating a new synthesis that surprised the attentive audience, who cheered and applauded.

Singer and songwriter Naana Blu brought nostalgic feelings to elderly members of the audience with a brilliant rendition of compositions by the late Bob Cole and Kakaiku alongside her own compositions while showcasing her stagecraft through spectacular dance movements and gestures.

Ace guitarist / festival director Akablay showcased a modern version of highlife, which have been intensely blended with Kundum rhythms from the Western region, which forms part of recreational music and dance by the Ahantas and Nzemas.

A vivid performance by hip hop artist Trigmatic was reminiscent of urban / coastal highlife alongside Afrobeat that captured the attention of the crowd. Also a songwriter / composer, the award winning musician worked his way into the hearts of the audience with remarkable dexterity.

Samuel Owusu, who bounced onto the Ghanaian music scene in the early 1980s, brought sharp memories of the period, which is noted for a revolution in the annals of the Ghanaian music industry. His classic song “Mempe Meho Asem” drew cheers from the crowd as his peculiar voice soared through the air.

Noted for addressing societal issues through his rich lyrics, highlife artist Kumi Guitar coolly engaged the audience in a chat as he performed well-paced and delightful tunes that proved that young artists are equally apostles of Ghanaian highlife.

The festival was sponsored by Goethe-Institut Ghana, Adonko Next Level, Gold Star Airlines, Special Ice, Chop and Chill Restaurant and Norsway Multi Media.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Ghanaian flute magician Dela Botri with support from Hewale Sounds, recently launched two revolutionary albums “All in One” and “Ghana Bi Your Own” with a magnetic concert at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

“All In One” comprise 16 tracks of contemporary approaches such as Jazz, Reggae, Highlife, Afrobeat and Calypso that were produced by Wazumbi, Ben Nketiah and GomezBetx while “Ghana Bi Your Own” has 16 songs, which lean heavily towards Ghanaian traditional rhythms with inflections from Palmwine Highlife alongside Adowa, Agbadza and Kpanlogo. 

Noted for his dexterity on the atenteben flute, Botri has managed to prove the capabilities of this bamboo instrument, which was discovered by the late Ghanaian musicologist Dr. Epharim Amu and popularized by the late Nana Danso Abiam, founder of the Pan African Orchestra.

Both albums, which were recorded with a vast array of traditional Ghanaian instruments, guitars and horns, reflect aspects of recent directions with his flute alongside explorations he has made into diverse music genres over the past few years.

Undeniably, the albums will open the minds and hearts of listeners to the beauty that is always around them while lifting their spirits to new heights as their infectious rhythms produce a calming effect in these times of economic hardships, pandemics and wars. 

In a brief speech, Dr. Amakye Boateng, a lecturer at the Music Department, University of Ghana praised Botri for continuously employing elements of traditional music in his artistic creations while extending them to their contemporary and urban levels. 

“You will get lost if you reject your tradition and culture – indeed, traditional music is important for all countries and we must embrace ours and support musicians who continue to promote our musical traditions in their compositions and writings”, he added.

An apostle of traditional / contemporary music, Botri has held workshops in a number of universities in several countries and performed to varied audiences in the United States, Cuba, Algeria, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Denmark, Germany and Egypt among others.  

In recent years, he has participated in the Cubadisco Festival (Cuba), World Music Village (Finland), Copenhagen Jazz Festival (Denmark), Pan African Music Festival (Algeria) and joined Liberian star Miatah Fanbulleh to perform at the 2011 Novel Peace Prize Awards in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

The albums were launched by Reverend Thomas Yawson, a songwriter, worship leader and lecturer in praise / worship and was supported by Goethe-Institut Ghana.

Pix – Matthew Hansen

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A three-day event comprising a photo exhibition, book reading and a panel discussion that examined issues relating to migration and re-migration ended last week at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

Physicist, Dr. Martin Egblewogbe engaged German author Jenny Erpenbeck on her book “Go Went Gone”, alongside an exhibition titled “No Man’s Land” by Katharina Behling and a panel discussion comprising representatives from the Ghanaian-German Centre, Adventist Development and Relief Agency as well as two Ghanaian returnees from Germany.

Photos by Berlin based Behling, which are currently on display at the Institut, vividly portray diverse narratives and authentic emotions – in real life situations – together with personal and collective chronicles that focus on people and social contexts.

Indeed, emotive and un-emotive photos intensely portray the challenges of migrants as they travel through the Sahara desert, detentions, torture and abuse in Libya, risky trips on the Mediterranean Sea and the frustrations / uncertainties after arrival in Europe.

The images draw the attention of the viewer to the harsh economic conditions in developing countries while bringing memories of the massive loss of life through the use of rickety boats thereby turning the Mediterranean into a sea of death.

Behling, whose work has been published in magazine and book formats, has received diverse awards and has been supported by funding agencies including DAAD, Käthe-Dorsch-und-Agnes-Straub-Stiftung Berlin and Stiftung Kulturwerk der VG Bild-Kunst.

A 2018 Puterbaugh Fellow, Erpenbeck’s “Go, Went, Gone”, alludes to the fact that the word “displacement” has become a reality to millions of people owing to a number of factors that are currently afflicting the world.

Undeniably, it also recalls departures from countries racked by war and poverty, desperate and hazardous journeys on the Mediterranean Sea and eventual frustration from a bureaucratic process that refuses to allow them to be recognized and their stay regularized in Europe.

Throughout the novel, the author is thoughtful while personal – indeed, national issues relating to culture and custom are brought to the fore through her characters as refugee interlocutors negotiate their relationships with one another.

In a discussion moderated by Nana Yaw Sarpong of the Writers Project of Ghana, Benjamin Woesten, head of the Ghanaian-German Centre in Accra and Justice Abbey from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency equally dilated on the issue of Migration and Re-Migration as relates to the work of the two institutions.

Two returnees shared thought-provoking experiences in Germany that culminated in their return to Ghana alongside re-integration strategies, procedures and support they received from these agencies and others.

The exhibition ends on Thursday March 31, 2022.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A cheering audience at the Goethe-Institut recently sat on the edge of their seats as dynamic trumpeter Kuuku Ansong alongside his Sunkwah Band treated them to a cool blend of Highlife, Afrobeat and Jazz rhythms.

In a magnetic performance last Wednesday that formed part of the Institut’s live music series dubbed “Kotosa”, Ansong and his fellow musicians whipped up amazingly paced arrangements that caught the attention of the crowd who responded with steps on the dance floor.

Indeed, rhythms from percussive instruments driven by horns and guitars turned the stage at the Institut into a musical ditch where music seemed to flow in a continuous stream thereby compelled members of the audience to hit the dance floor.

With Nii Bano (drums), Jojo Ansong / Harry Nelson (percussion), Fred Gbomittah (keyboard) Odartey Lamptey (backing vocals), Ransford Zico (bass guitar), Jerry Tee (piano) and Kuuku Ansong (trumpet / lead vocals), the group showcased a performance loaded with a focus on vocalized lyrics, intersecting rhythms and percussion.

Undeniaby, tunes such as “Ambolley”, “Prayers”, “Time”, “Push”, “Biako Ye”, “Papa Mbra”, “Beautiful Flower”, “Onokwafo”, “Kokroko” – composed by Kuuku Ansong, “Wokokoko” (Richard Bona) and “Local Chain” (Public Domain) mesmerized the enthusiastic audience.

Gyedu Blay-Ambolley, the legendary Ghanaian musician joined the young artists on stage and performed a song with his fulfilling and eloquent voice resulting in massive cheers and applause for the saxophonist, who has performed a number of times at the Goethe-Institut.

With songs unfolding in a rather cool and infectious mode, the group churned out iconic dance sounds that equally caught the attention of the crowd who responded with more steps on the dance floor.

A group of kids later joined the band on stage for a dance thereby enticing elderly members of the audience to join in a free for all dance that was quite infectious and alluring. 

The concert was organized and supported by the Goethe-Institut Ghana.