By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

African Footprint International, a group based in Cape Coast (Ghana) and Aarhus (Denmark), has over the past twenty years managed to bridge gaps between diverse cultures through its stimulating music and vitalizing dance pieces.

Consequently, the group will kick off several activities that will mark its 20th anniversary with performances in several locations in Ghana, Denmark, Finland and other parts of Europe. 

Performances are scheduled to begin in Cape Coast from the end of February 2019 and will continue in Sekondi, Takoradi, Accra, Kumasi and other towns in Ghana while hosting workshops and seminars for young musicians and dancers.

In Denmark, performances and workshops will take place in the capital Copenhagen, the second city Aarhus, Langå, Skandeborg, Horne, Kleitrup, Vejle and others towns, where it will showcase its brand of music, which is characterized by a dramatic fusion of highlife, jazz, rock and African traditional rhythms.

Led by Samuel Kweku Addison, the group has swayed audiences with compelling performances in Ghana, Denmark, Finland, Holland, United Kingdom, Hungary, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, United States and other parts of Africa.

The group has held workshops in several colleges and schools in Denmark – these include Royal Music Academy (Aarhus), Kleitrup Efterskole (Kleitrup), Station K. (Langå), Den Rytmiske Højeskole, (Vig) Shanghai Akademi (Syddjurs), Syddjurs Musikskole (Syddjurs) and Brandbjerg Højskole (Jelling) among others.

African Footprint International has four albums to its credit. These are “Akuaba”, “Journey”, “Crossover” and “Footprint Live” as well as a couple of DVDs that showcase memorable collaborations with groups and institutions in Denmark and elsewhere.

Royal Academy of Music, Vestergaardensskolen, Aarhus Friskole, Kleitrup Musikefterskole, Den Rytmiske Højeskole, Shanghai Akademi, Nabohuset, Harald Langaasdalen, Keld Hodsbond, Allan Agerbo and others institutions have supported the group in their endeavors in Denmark. 

Photos: Inge Lynggaard Hansen

By John Owoo

(Back from Rabat – Morocco)

Visa for Music 2018 turned out to be a spectacular gathering of artists, arts professionals, academics and journalists from various parts of the world who experienced high quality performances as well as intellectually charged discussions.

In spite of budget challenges, the festival accommodated over 1,500 artists and arts professionals, who witnessed over forty performances alongside Moroccans and other visitors to the Kingdom.

Held in the Moroccan capital Rabat, Visa For Music was characterized by a rater high number of female musicians, who performed with raw passion while charming diverse audiences with penetrating voices, smart / vivacious dances, colorful costumes and magnetic stage crafts.

“Visa for Music director, Brahim El Mazned is a charismatic innovator – he has managed to put together over the past few years artists from areas of the world who will normally never meet or have a slight chance of meeting for artistic and professional exchanges”, said Ali Sawadogo, a writer from Burkina Faso.

Despite problems with timing, the King Mohammed V Theatre, Palais Tazi, Salle Bahnini, Salle Renaissance, Amnesia, Institut Cervantes, Institut Français, Villla des Arts, Hiba Laband Studio Jacques Tati among others witnessed unbridled intellectual discourse and creativity that resulted in intricately woven performances and sharing of ideas.  

MASA Festival director Prof. Yacouba Konaté, El Genaina Arts and Culture director May Mostafa, Algerian cultural expert Rachid Briki, Ebène Scene director Tony Mefe, musicologist Dr. Sipho Sithole and Jazzblanca Festival director Moulay Ahmed Alami among several others moderated and participated on several issues relating to the arts.

Topics discussed during seminars, workshops and round table discussions include “Women Artists in Africa and the Middle East”, “Female Managerial and Artistic Skills”, “Arts and Culture as Vehicles for Social Peace” and “What’s the Place for Southern Artistic Players” among others.

These symposia assessed qualitatively and quantitatively the cognitive, emotional, social and other instrumental outcomes of arts projects and programmes meant to enhance the sector as they seek to empower women.

The festival, which is in its fifth year, is set to continue its aim of bringing African and Middle Eastern countries for dialogue and artistic collaboration – a move that will result in creativity that can pass as jewels on stage.

Visa for Music 2018 was held under the auspices of the Moroccan monarch, His Excellency, King Mohammed VI with support from Atlas Azawan, Hiba Foundation and many others.

Photos: Soufiane Mabrouk, Mendi Ayoubi, Zyneb Ouazzani, Yasmine EL

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A photo exhibition of kids that followed workshops in Düsseldorf (Germany) and Accra (Ghana) that showcase similarities in creativity by kids in both cities is closing at the James Town Café in Accra.  

The workshops, which were moderated by photographers Teresa Meka (Ghana) and Katharina Ley (Germany), was a transcultural exchange that applied the same concepts in both cities while enabling participants to learn from each others daily lives.

The project encompassed the use of paper bags as masks that take on diverse functions through the creativity of the kids while learning basic photography techniques, which they applied in a rather dramatic manner.  

The masks were installed in a way that allowed a visual barrier thereby enabling the onlooker or subject to be photographed while creating and developing another perspective – indeed a more distanced approach to day-to-day activities that regularly engage these kids and others. 

These rather inviting photos tend to navigate the ties that bind kids all over the world – undeniably some of the works bear striking similarities although created thousands of kilometers apart.

Indeed, the images cross-examine the dynamics, thought patterns, triumphs and challenges that occur across cultural, social, economic and political differences while showing apparent similarities.

The children were handed one-way analogue (27 exposure) cameras. Being products of the digital age, this presented a slight challenge to them. Having unlimited options of taking millions of photos with their cellphones, the 27 exposures had to be used diligently.

Kabawil e.V (Germany) organized the project in collaboration with Haduwa Arts and Cultural project (Ghana) with Petron Kron as Artistic Director and Yibor Kojo Yibor as Project Manager.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

The issue of sexual abuse recently took centre stage in Accra with an exhibition of artworks by painter / cartoonist Dela Anyah that vividly portrayed the horrors and challenges that bedevil victims.  

Works by Anyah, which were showcased at the Antique Lemonade Gallery in Accra, dilated on examples of sexual assaults by “predators”, who appear unfazed due to light punishments as well as the lack of boldness to report such cases to the police.  

Employing jute sacs on which he paints gloomy caricatures, Anyah incorporates plastic sheets, papers and cuttings from past editions of newspapers that have reported incidents of abuse, which relate to sexual manipulation, harassment and rape.  

His human figures are characterized by exaggerated eyes with the word “Abuse “ boldly written on each piece as he transmits messages on sexual abuse alongside a dramatic combination of earth colours and shades of shades of reds, yellows and blues.  

Using acrylics and other pigments, Anyah includes a suite of stylized and lightly saturated colour abstractions that suggest pain, anguish and despair. Indeed, the colours are kept in check by patches of white, which inundate backgrounds or tend to form part of his figures.

The Ghanaian Labour Act defines sexual harassment “as any unwelcome, offensive or importunate sexual advances or request made by an employer or superior officer or a co-worker, whether the worker is a man or woman”.

Undeniably there have been reports of such incidents in schools, offices, factories etc with suspects merely transferred or made to face some sort of disciplinary action instead of inviting the police for investigations and possible prosecution.  

The exhibition, which is a timely reminder of the canker, ended on Saturday December 29, 2018.

Photos: Jesse Ababio – Snapshot Gh Studios

By John Owoo
(In Accra – Ghana)

A continuous flow of energy characterized a magnetic concert by singer / songwriter Wiyaala during a memorable performance at the Alliance Française in Accra.

Fueled by a fresh stream of creativity, the Afro Pop diva dug deep into her repertoire and showered the boisterous audience with a two-hour show that kept most of them at the edge of their seats.

With an alluring stagecraft that witnessed an unquenchable energy and dancing skills, Wiyaala performed with a blunt, raw and engaging reliability that left the crowd admiring the dramatic enhancement of her talent.

“This is one of the best performances I have seen this year – Wiyaala is surely going make a mark in wide-reaching circles – I was not bored for a single moment. Indeed, she has a unique way of capturing ones attention and sustaining it”, said Kofi Adu, an Accra based architect.

“The dancers are truly professional – the movements were highly suggestive and they performed with a raw and an appealing honesty that resulted in an effective blending with the music and musicians”, added Justine Oduro, a teacher from Takoradi.

With contemporary dancers Sena Atsugah / Marcus Tay alongside Faustina Amankwah, Francisca Mordedzi, Evelyn Kudo and Angela Mensah from the National Dance Company, the singer swayed the crowd with colorful and descriptive rhymes through a rapid-fire delivery that drew comparisons to internationally acclaimed female musicians.

Choreographed by Stephany Ursula Yamoah, the dancers moved in unison through a subtle combination of swift and restrained movements that intermingled with the instrumentalists thereby creating a situation of perpetual motion on stage.

Together with the Patch Bay band, Wiyaala equally featured veteran saxophonist / percussionist Teddy Osei of Osibisa fame, singer / songwriter Nana Yaa, poet Pobee and others, who equally left a mark in the eyes of the crowd.

Photos: Delphy Photography

By John Owoo
(In Accra – Ghana)

Slight raindrops from a cloud-less sky blessed a mega concert by Afro Pop sensation Ssue at the Alliance Française in Accra as the young diva turned the stage and its environs into a music fiesta.

Despite a brief interruption by the rain – the concert – ironically dubbed “Commotion”, continued with its superlative fusion of diverse styles including R&B, Soul, Blues, Highlife, Gospel, Jazz and Rock.

Interspersed with joint performances with acclaimed Ghanaian musicians including rap initiator Gyedu Blay-Ambolley, highlife legend Pat Thomas, and saxophonist Steve Bedi, Ssue exhibited a talent that showed her as an astute performer with the skill and charisma that will always light up the faces of her audience.

Together with traditional and contemporary dancers from the Africana Dance Ensemble and the Kassah Dancers, the talented singer showcased a remarkable technique, thoughtfulness and above all abundant entertainment, which resulted in some of the audience heading to the dance floor.

“The concert gradually turned into a mini music festival as one talented musician after the other joined Ssue on stage for renditions that brought old memories thereby rejuvenating the audience”, said Kofi Atiso, a visual artist in Accra.

“It was truly an evening of some of the finest musicians in Ghana – I felt so happy to support the talents of other musicians – and I danced my heart out to all of them”, added Pat Kerkenaar, a percussionist from Australia.

With a great deal of energy emanating from the stage, Ssue continued to charm the audience with further performances with the US based Ghanaian computer engineer / guitarist Nathan Pryce and popular singer Immanuel Emmanuel with both singers delighting the audience with their various styles.

Also on the bill were rappers Baby G, Paa Kwesi and Kurrency alongside acclaimed Ghanaian poet Oswald Okaitei, who treated the crowd to varied performances severally and jointly with Ssue, who won the hearts of the audience with her versatility.

Scratch Studios and Music Publishing organized the concert with support from the Alliance Française and Appraise Music and Media. It was in honour of the veteran Ghanaian saxophonist / percussionist Teddy Osei.

By John Owoo

(In Rabat – Morocco)

Spread across a number of venues in the lovely city of Rabat, Visa for Music 2018 witnessed several ground-breaking, powerful and well structured performances that turned parts of the city into a music grove.

With a line-up that covered diverse music traditions from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, the festival offered a knockout of global sounds and beats that captured the imagination of constantly cheering fans.

Among the groups is the Belgium based Moroccan band Marokin’ Brass, who created an ultimate fan experience with a blend of Mediterranean and Moroccan rhythms during a performance at Palais de Tazi.

With the Belgian / Ghanaian flutist Esinam Dogbatse on stage, the group through an intimate and communicable vibe alongside varied brass instruments, wooed the crowd with intricately woven rhythms.

France based Senegalese singer Magou Samb and his Dakar Transe Band treated the audience to an intense fusion of blues, mbalax, mandigo and salsa  while his raucous voice reminded the crowd of the ills and tribulations in the world.

Also based in France, Turkish baglama lute, sax and flamenco guitar player Serkan Uyar and two other instrumentalists exhibited amazing show-power alongside a skillful display of lyrics that seem to touch and communicate with the soul.

With voices that would move the most insensitive ear, members of the Moroccan group Joudour Sahara, exhibited a phenomenal performance alongside a show of real commitment from the artists, who seemed to be having fun on stage.

Among the goals of Visa for Music, which is under the direction of Brahim El Mazned, include promoting music from Morocco, Africa and the Middle-East to Europe and northern markets, encourage artistic mobility between African countries and the Middle-East while participating in the development of local cultural sectors.

Others are develop the music scene at an international level while contributing to the improvement of the status of artists from southern countries, strengthen the North-South and South-South relationships in the cultural sector

The festival was held under the auspices of King Mohammed VI.

Photos:-

Kenza Allouchi

Karim Ejjaoui

Yasmine EL

Nabyla Maan

By John Owoo

(In Rabat – Morocco)

Magical performances from diverse music traditions marked the opening of the 2018 edition of Visa For Music, which took place yesterday at the King Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco.

The festival, which is dedicated to promoting artists and music from Africa, Middle East and the Caribbean, will showcase acts from several countries including South Korea, Lebanon, Palestine, France, Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Guadeloupe and Morocco.

Raw talent, piercing voices, instruments that produce wild rhythms, magnetic stage presence and effective technicians turned the evening into a memorable one as the stage was transformed into a fast flowing musical stream.

Moroccan oriental flute sensation, Rachid Zeroual virtually turned the theater into a serene arena as cool rhythms flowed from his flutes while energetic bass and guitar lines complimented an unforgettable routine from a skillful performer.

Zeroual, who is also known for his hypnotic concerts in the Middle East and Europe, delighted the cheering audience with music that is sincere, soft and honest. Indeed, he captured and sustained the attention of the audience with his calm and peaceful nature.

Cameroonian singer, composer and guitarist Lornoar raised the tempo with a dramatic fusion of rhythms – bikutsi, bossa nova, makossa, batanga, ekank, ekomot, mbalax, reggae, highlife and pop that galvanized the audience into a party mood.

With a magnetic stage presence alongside anecdotes that engaged the crowd, the lady with a golden voice electrified the theatre with a rather high dose of energy that consistently and persistently emanated from the stage.

Accompanied by a voice that soared in the theatre, Jordanian vocal genius, Farah Sirag charmed the crowd with a fine combination of traditional Middle Eastern tunes that have been elaborated with jazz, flamenco, pop and bossa rhythms.

Also known as the Jordanian music ambassador, Sirag who sings in Arabic, Spanish and English, dazzled the crowd with her magical poise alongside a colorful costume with extraordinary sleeves that constantly swayed in the air.

As part of the opening ceremony the Ivorian director of Market for African Performing Arts Festival (MASA) Prof. Yacouba Konaté of the Ivory Coast was honored alongside EAC Boulevard for their long-standing contribution to the development of the arts in Africa.

The festival is being held under the auspices of King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

Photos:

Mohammed Omari

Khalil Ibrahim Chardoudi

Haadiya Numani

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Internationally acclaimed pathologist Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa recently opened an exhibition of artworks on “Emotional Surgery” that have the capacity to reduce and stabilize stress at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

In a brief lecture, he stated that works by the artist Dr. Robert Grimmond-Thomspon, who initiated Emotional Surgery, possess the power to reduce stress adding that the rhythmic movements that are prevalent in his works, have the ability to send the body into a restful state.

He said the concept recognizes surgery as a huge emotional activity and its use of colours, geometric shapes, lines and dots speak through the eyes to the brain to reassure the brain while bringing all the components of the body to a base equilibrium.

“It is best prior to anesthesia after the anesthetist has done his/her pre-assessment. Either as a slide show or video, the patient is introduced to an array of colours and objects in a soothing mix that slowly and gradually brings the activities of the body to its resting level”, he said.

“Consequently, the patient is rid of all anxiety and a minimum anesthetic dose may be enough to allow surgery to take place successfully. Indeed, it is even better if the patient is introduced to emotional surgery when surgery is being contemplated”, he added.

Prof. Akosa stated that “Emotional Surgery” can be introduced as a television programme for winding down after a hard day’s work or as a montage for viewing at home or in a gallery. He pointed out that the pervasiveness of general anxiety in today’s society calls for it to be made a daily endeavor thereby bringing quietness, calmness and serenity to the soul.

Undeniably, “Emotional Surgery” works by Grimmond-Thompson comprise cool colours embedded in diverse shapes including rectangles, triangles, circles and other symmetrical outlines and silhouettes that help reduce peripheral awareness while relaxing the viewer.

In other works, the artist employs jute sacs, which are stitched together into a large mass. He incorporates diverse items such as calabashes, brooms, raffia fans, beads, and wooden musical instruments while embellishing them with bits of colour through discarded car toys.

Goethe-Institut Ghana supported the exhibition, which ended on Friday November 16.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A family of “seperewa” players – comprising a father and his two daughters – on Wednesday transferred a cheerful audience to a tranquil village through a refined expression of traditional Ghanaian music.

Performing at the Goethe-Institut in Accra, seperewa virtuoso Osei Korankye, young players Abena Korankyewaa / Serwaa Korankye and prepremsiwa player Osei Kwame created their own world of sounds that are well known in some royal courts of Southern Ghana.

A vibrant encounter between two musical generations and traditions, the quartet flattered the audience with historical lyrics that touched on diverse subjects while showcasing a more transparent texture of “seperewa” rhythms.

Indeed, harmony and rhythm merged into a continuous stream with soothing and possibly therapeutic rhythms flowing freely from the stage as father and daughters effectively manipulated the “seperewa” – a harp-lute chordophone – into a refreshing musical extravaganza.

“We were treated to a dramatic fusion of sweet and light music with three simple instruments that managed to sustain the interest of the audience throughout the entire performance”, said Tom Nsiah, a retired mechanical engineer in Accra.

A devotee of traditional Ghanaian music, Korankye and his kids surprised the audience with a brilliant rendition of compositions by living legend Agya Koo Nimo and the late highlife exponent E.T. Mensah as the crowd listened with immersive attention.

Abena and Serwaa entertained the crowd with “Adenkum”, a calabash instrument that produces sounds when slapped with hands and forearms with accompanying chants and songs. A little known instrument, Adenkum is currently receiving attention among academics and music students.

The performance forms part of a monthly acoustic music session dubbed “Goethe-Abansuro”, which offers a platform for musicians and poets to showcase their artistic creations while having a close engagement with their audiences.