Easily one of the few artists who make indigenous people the center of her work, Australian artist Naomi Dodds effortlessly captures attention with sharp contrasts of light and dark, roughness and spontaneous craftsmanship.

Employing line and dot painting, which abound throughout her work, she incites a rigorous tension between innocence and sophistication through works that posses a complex appeal and drama.

“The “Maasai Journey” (one of her projects) collection was painted on recycled canvases. The layers of paint make them touchable like brail art. Indeed, my authentic style of line and dot paintings is unique to indigenous artists globally”, says Naomi, who has been engaged in various projects in Kenya and Thailand.

With recycled canvases that result in thick layers of paint, she makes a highly successful foray into exotica – through a lacy mix of human figures, stripes and blotches alongside patches and patterns from African fabrics and jewelry.

She embellishes the figures with assorted colourful traditional Kenyan jewelry, which could be cues to spirituality while acting as a kind of stylized signature as they hang conspicuously on the necks and heads of most of her figures.

“My works posses an aura of texture and depth – undeniably, the dots stick out of the lines enabling one to feel the jewelry as well as the capacious layers of paint with his/her fingers”, adds Naomi, who is also the director of a community association known as United One Project.

The naïve-like works by Naomi equally reveal a quality of child-like wonder especially in the primary colours and wide-eyed / teeth poking human figures. Nevertheless, there is a hint of magic belying the pieces rigorous philosophical underpinnings.

By John Owoo

HE Rüdiger John, the German Ambassador in Accra last Thursday presented a set of instruments worth 7,500.00 Euros to the Kopeyia School Brass Band during a brief ceremony at the Goethe-Institute in Accra.

The instruments, which include assorted horns and keyboards, forms part of a project dubbed “Music Works”, which is being supported by the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin and the Goethe-Institute in Accra.

Presenting the items, HE John said melody, rhythm and harmony have the power to connect people across countries, continents and the world at large adding that both the German teachers and local students have benefited immensely by learning from each other.

He noted that alongside political and economic, cultural relations is also a cornerstone of German foreign policy while stressing that cultural programmes create a broad basis for stable international relations while fostering mutual dialogue and appreciation.

In a brief speech, the CEO of the National Youth Authority, Ras Mubarak expressed appreciation for the gesture by the German Foreign Office and the Geothe-Instut adding that the Authority will put in mechanisms to help sustain activities of this nature for the youth.

Members of the Kopeyia School Brass Band, which is based in Kopeyia, a town in the Ketu South district of the Volta region, later entertained the audience with a performance that showcased the beauty of cross cultural collaborations.

Alongside German musician Jo Junghanns, who trained the students, the group dished out a cool blend of Agbadza / Borborbor rhythms and German music forms thereby creating an atmosphere of joy as over two dozen horns and traditional drums from the Volta region turned the Goethe-Institute into a music groove.

Present at the ceremony include Togbui Kpotaka IV (Chief of Kopeyia), Norvisi Togbe (Youth Chairman of Kopeyia), Emmanuel Agbeli (Director of the Kopeyia Brass Band) and Hon Dumega Seshie (registrar of the Aflao Traditional Council), who represented Togbui Fiti V, Fiaga of Aflao.

By John Owoo

When the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games opened in the Scottish city of Glasgow on July 23, the first and only African orchestra in the United Kingdom took center stage and spiced it with some irresistible Afro-classical renditions.

Spearheaded by Ghanaian multi-artist, Gameli Tordzro, the Ha Orchestra, playing exclusively traditional African instruments such as the Gimbre, Kalimba, Zylophone, Kora, Atumpan, Kpanlogo, Dondo, Brekete and Sogo drums, flutes, Axatse and Kagogui, features Malawian original Bhundu Boy, Rise Kagona, Denmark based Alfred Tamakloe and Samuel Kwamina Takyi, Gambian Kora Brothers Sura and Suntu Sosso, Glasgow’s own Clare Roberson and Lillias Kinsman-Blake and Edinburgh based Andy Cooke and Tom Oakes.

“With musicians from all over Africa and Scotland, Ha Orchestra taps into a vast unexplored musical wealth and cross cultural experiences of the African diaspora living in Scotland”, says Gameli Tordzro, founder, composer and producer of the orchestra.

“What we are doing today, is writing the history of tomorrow. These are treasured opportunities to share in Glasgow”, stresses Gameli, who doubles as the Artistic Director of Pan African Arts Scotland (PAAS), under whose auspices the orchestra was established.

Explaining the concept of Ha Orchestra, Tordzro said “it stems from Nana Danso Abiam’s practice of integrating regional music of Africa into a new classical synthesis thereby creating a symphonic system which is different from established western classical repertoire in Africa and the African Diaspora”.

Maggie Maxwell of Creative Scotland says, “everyone who has come together to create the Ha Orchestra is bound by skill and passion for their art, by shared links between different cultures and musical traditions, and by the desire to build on these links and create something truly new, truly special. We can all now enjoy the results of their inspirational work”.

The Queens Baton Relay, Merchant City Festival, BBC’s 16-Day Pop Up Festival, PASSfest and Reaches Heights at the newly refurbished Kelvingrove Band Stand during Glasgow Mela 2014 followed their debut appearance as they open Emancipation Day Carnival at Glasgow Green Live Zone.

They climax their performance with a concert at Kelvingrove Band Stand to wrap up their act on August 2. Ha Orchestra is a Culture-2014 funded collaboration between Pan African Arts Scotland, University of Glasgow-GRAMMNet and The Community Central Halls.

By Alfred Tamakloe in Glasgow

Pictures: Gameli Tordzro, Setor Tordrzo, Federica di Lascio

An exhibition of large-scale impeccable wooden sculptures by Alex Sefah-Twerefoah is currently underway at the Seflex Gallery, which is located at Tantra Hills in Accra.

Repeated shapes from woodcarving characterize the sculptures, some of which are two meters high. However, on close observation, one will surely notice that they are both impersonal and abstract while exuding an aura of intimate feeling.

Trained at the College of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi), Sefah-Twerefoah’s work, which also comprise exaggerated human and animal figures, serve as eloquent testament of his deeply held philosophical, social and cultural beliefs.

“I usually work with discarded wood because it is abundant in our part of the world. Undeniably, the types of wood I use (ebony, cedar, mahogany etc) are easy to find. I use what I find and my theme is dictated by what I find”, says Sefah-Twerefoah, who is a former director of the Centre for National Culture in Accra.

With a symmetrical interplay of solid, void and light alongside qualities of uprightness, dignity and balance, Sefah-Twerefoah’s work are realized with sculptural energy and emotional resonance.

A number of his works are calculatingly placed in the huge gallery to augment texture whilst enhancing the visual impact of these “high rise” sculptures. On the other hand, he brings exotic difference and intellectual attachment to discarded wood through sheer creativity.

“Ghanaians are gradually being educated about the merits of art hence the increase in the appreciation of artworks. Government and corporate bodies must be proactive in the support for the arts while setting up foundations to ensure its development”, continues Sefah-Twerefoah, who has exhibited widely in Ghana, Canada, the United States and other parts of Africa.

Collectively put together, the sculptures tend to evoke rich primordial forests that suggest humanity’s lost intimacy with nature. It reminds us of the environment and its associated problems. The gallery /exhibition was opened by Michael Attipoe, Director of Finance at the National Commission on Culture.

By John Owoo

The Damba festival is an ancient celebration of the Dagamba of Northern Ghana and brought along from Zamfara in the North of Nigeria into Dagbon in the first quarter of the 18^th Century during the rign of Naa Zangina.

Festivities take place on the 11^th, 17^th and 18^th days of the Damba month (moon) ie the third month of the Dagbamba calendar (lunan in calendar). Damba is the most important or widely celebrated festival of the Dagombas/Dagbamba, which has spread to other stratified northern societies such as Mamprusis, Nanumbas and Gonjas – and also to the Walas in the Upper West region, which is called “Dumba”.

The origin of Damba as a festival and dance form is not certain. To some, it was instituted in commemoration of the birth and naming of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). However, to most people, this claim is contrary to many known facts about the festival and the Dagbamba people.

The name of the month Damba is according to the Dagbamba calendar and not the Islamic calendar – it means it’s over 500 years since the beginning of Dagban Kingdom. Also the name Damba is given to a very popular dance for the Dagomba/Dagbamba royalty that almost certainly predates the introduction of Islam into the Kingdom. Again, both the festival and dance are essentially ritual in character.

The only seemingly religious parts of the festival relate to the slaughtering of animals on the 11^th and 17^th days of the month, which are said to be the dates of the birth and naming of the Prophet (Issah Red). One can therefore say that it is a blend of Dagbon and Islamic elements - a duality of cultures.

The festival is the occasion for most people to purchase new clothes and gifts, as everyone wants to be dressed as beautifully as he or she can be. (Aljahi Musah Adam). The males dress in colourful, hand woven smocks that are designed for dancing while women wear traditional hand woven cloth wrapped around their waists and expensive jewelry.

It is also the occasion for feasting, exchanging gifts, shooting of muskets and display of warrior dance and war exploits or mimicry of war motifs. It also serves as training grounds for the youth and eventual display of bravery and splendor (Madam Fuseini Wumbei).

There is a display of horsemanship skills while people celebrate chieftaincy. Indeed, Chiefs show themselves to the people in beautiful regalia through solemn processions. People troop into the festival grounds or palaces to shower praises, show respect, dance, entertain, show sympathies, love, accord respect and to show off their finery while listening to oral history as praise singers sing to the paramount chiefs or king and subjects.

For the first ten days or nights after the appearance of of the new crescent (moon) of Damba month (on the Dagbon calendar), young people gather at the chief’s palace for dance rehearsals. They are called to the palace by the beating of drums every night.

This is an opportunity for young people to practice their dance forms from the elders. During this time, women may also gather to sing praises to the chiefs – for their exploits, enticement and bravery at the palace for ten nights (Fuseina Wumbei).

On the 11^th day of Damba, the second part of the festival takes place. In the morning, the Muslim chiefs and their disciples come to the palace where a bull is slaughtered according Islamic ritual. Those present form a circle around the bull and walk or jump over it three times. During this exercise verses of the Holy Quran are recited. The bull is slaughtered and the meat is distributed for feasting (Alhaji Von Salifu).

The Chief does not appear in the morning. However, the ceremonies are directed by a state elder in charge of Damba festival/festivities (Somo Damba) for this day. Late in the afternoon, people gather at the palace in response to drumming. The chief (King/Ya-Naa) is led out by his elders after a sizable crowd has gathered. He walks very slowly as the musketeers fire their weapons while praise singers sing appellations. The chief sits on a pile of animal skin covered with beautiful oriented rugs (fithes) also known as skins in Dagbon. (Chief Von Salifu).

Everyone must approach the chief for permission to dance while the chief provides money for the drummers and gonje (stringed musical instrument) players. Once someone is on the dance floor, the audience donates or shower money and calculated praises at the dancers and musicians.

The Chief is the last to dance and he exists in the same manner as he entered thus bringing to an end the activities for the evening on the 11^th day of Damba. On the 17^th, the Naa (chiefs Damba) is celebrated. It is the most important of the festival days characterized by dancing and chiefly processions like that of the evening. (Imam Mole Sibido).

Everyone tries to make it grand in Naa Damba, which includes feasting and acts of homage and excitement. It is also celebrated like that of the 11^th with rice picking in the morning and dance in the evening. The 18^th day is the farewell Damba, which is known as Belkusi. The highest-ranking sub chief will lead other low sectional chiefs and elders to thank the sectional chiefs leading to the climax where the people, chiefs and others assemble at the palace of the Yaa Naa or chief of the town.

They will move from house to house to greet the sectional chiefs and mobilize the people on issues such as peace, development, fund raising and resource mobilization among others. Politicians, NGOs, Companies and wealthy individuals are approached for support.

At the durbar grounds, most of the chiefs and the affluent in society ride on horses to display their culture, values, and heritage for admiration, tourism, education and advocacy. They display horse riding and dance skills while the farewell and thanksgiving continue into the night. Balogu, chief of Yendi is the last to be thanked while Zohi Naa is the first to be thanked.

Thus, the Damba at Yendi, the seat of the Ya-Naa is elegant (Laggard Issah). The historical and cultural heritage is on display for general education of the public, tourism and entertainment. It is worthy to mention that there is Night Damba on the 11^th and the 17^th day of celebrations at the Chief’s palace. Chiefs, elders, drummers and the people assemble by 12.00 noon and dance till daybreak. During the night, women sing praises to the chiefs in Dagbon while drumming and dancing continue till daybreak.

Damba festival is in effect a thanksgiving festival and a time for families to meet, and socialize. It is also for auditing and evaluating the past and planning for the future. This is the period the Dagbamba who reside outside Dagbon travel home for the festivities.

By Kombat N. Fuzzy

When the largest North European culture and music festival gets underway this weekend in Denmark, one of Ghana’s strongest music profiles who will be robbing shoulders with world acclaimed artists, is the king of kologo music, King Ayisoba. This is the second-leg of Ayisoba’s European tour, which kicked off early this year in several cities across Europe.

Roskilde Festival, which has existed since 1971, attracts about 80,000 people from Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. This year, the festival presents an array of African acts including Malian singer, Salif Keita, regrouping with his earlier band, Les Ambassadeurs, featuring Amadou Bagayogo and Malian keybord virtuoso, Cheick Tidane Seck.

Other African stars are Malian kora Maestro Toumani and his son, Sidiki Diabaté, Ibibio Sound Machine (Nigeria), Mama Kasey (Niger), Fendika (Etiopia), Atomic Bomb! Who Is William Onyeabor? (Nigeria/US) The Master Musicians of Jajouka from Marokko, Jupiter & Okwess International (DR Congo) and Mark Ernestus and Jeri-Jeri (Germany/Senegal)

Just after Roskilde, the kologo musician will pitch camp in the Danish capital where he’ll dish out his own bony blues full of enchanting rhythms, call-and-response vocals and hoarse beauty to thousands of audience at Copenhagen Jazz Festival. His dancers and musicians, including his younger brother, who masters a distinct northern Ghanaian hunting horn developed by King Ayisoba, will accompany him.

King Ayisoba hails from Kalaga, in the Upper East Region of Ghana. He learnt to play the kologo (a traditional two stringed guitar) from his grandfather, a traditional healer. He started playing music at pito bars (a local brew from northern Ghana) and festivals. Soon, he became a child prodigy, known throughout the region. His musical career and fame grew from strength to strength.

Having conquered the waters in his home region, King Ayisoba felt he had accomplished everything he could at home so he headed for Ghana’s capital, Accra. By an act of fate, he met and struck a partnership with the late Terry Bon Chaka, another Ghanaian musician. The pair soon became the toast of every performance across the country as they stunned audiences with their unique blend of flawless traditional instrumentation and rhythms. Their reign ended abruptly with the tragic death of Terry in a motor accident. This left King Ayisoba by himself, contemplating his return home to Bolgatanga.

But with the intervention of BB Menson and Prime I, King Ayisoba decided to stay in Accra. During this time, he collaborated with other artists while developing new material for his album. His debut album was a delightful masterpiece and each song, was a journey of pure musical pleasure. It featured several of the finest of Ghanaian contemporary artists including Samini, Sydney, Kontihene, Kwabena Kwabena and Kwaku-T. However this is neither a hiplife nor highlife nor even a traditional album. It is simply distinctive. It is an eclectic infusion of various musical styles and flavours.

In 2008, he released his second album, which enjoyed enormous airplay. He featured Kwaw Kesse, Moking and Wanluv on “Look My Shoe” which equally enjoyed heavy airtime on radio. He has also collaborated with Becca, Shegee and many other artists since his groundbreaking debut album. King Ayisoba sings in Twi, English and Frafra.

His songs include Obiara eni begye, Fa mi sika mami, Oko agyae mi, My friend, my friend (a tribute to Terry Bon Chaka), Modern Ghanaians and Champion no easy. He is married with two children. Ayisoba’s tours are possible owing to the efforts of the indefatigable Dutchman Arnold Zea.

By Alfred Tamakloe

In Copenhagen

The late sunday afternoon heat is quite bearable as a gentle breeze flows in subtle succession through centenarian nim trees that dot the Youth Home Centre in the Northern regional capital, Tamale.

Five young bands go through sound check formalities as they prepare for the 2014 edition of New Music Ghana Festival - a competition that is dedicated to the empowering of youthful artistes throughout Ghana.

Comprising young musicians under the age of 25, some of whom have never been on stage, they appear nervous as they emerge from makeshift dressing rooms to a worn-out basketball court that served as a performance venue.

Five groups – namely Bizung School, Yurlim, North Wings, Suhuyini and Young Echoes Bands, who have been rehearsing over the past few months, perform a cool blend of rhythms from Northern / Southern Ghana with western rhythms as they woo both the audience and jury members.

North Wings Band, led by Frank Elinam emerge as the first group with a dramatic fusion of Bamaya, Gahu and Agbadza with jazz to create a new music synthesis that drew wild cheers from the audience, which encompassed several music lovers from Accra and tourists.

Suhuyini, Yurlim, Young Echoes and Bizung School Band, who took the second, third, fourth and fifth positions respectively, received cash prizes totaling Ghc 3,000.00 alongside the winning group for their dedication in employing the use of local musical resources in their compositions.

Earlier, flute dynamo Dela Botri held an improvisation and composition workshop for all participating artistes while MUSIGA Northern regional director BA Konlaan gave a lecture on effective lyrics. Dance director Abdul Rahaman Mohammed equally took on the use of traditional dance on stage by musicians.

Korkor Amarteifio, Director of New Music Ghana Festival, moderated a round table discussion of the effective strategies to employ in the quest to embolden and support young artistes in Northern Ghana.

Undeniably, the seeds of full-blown inventive musical creations in Ghana are being sown in the savannah highlands of Northern Ghana through this vibrant, radiant and transformative musical experience.

Goethe-Institut in Accra and the Ghana chapter of Arterial Network supported New Music Ghana 2014, which was organized by the Institute Music and Development.

By John Owoo

The Ghana Denmark Cultural Fund (GDCF) has approved GHc 259,622.55 for eight arts organizations, associations, groups and individual artists for a variety of arts projects.

Successful applicants are Afro Maestros Band, Dwenesie Music Institute, Centre for National Culture (Tamale), National Commission on Culture (Accra), La Akaibi Group, Rev. Dr. Elias Asiama, Allotey Bruce Konuah and Isaac Opuni Frimpong.

This follows recommendations made by a peer review committee set up by the Institute for Music and Development (administrators of the fund) to vet applications from various parts of the country and make recommendations to the board of GDCF.

Projects to be executed under the grants include purchase of musical instruments, notation of classic highlife tunes, creation of a moving image archive, drama festival for schools, sensitizing the public on Ga culture, story-telling festival, seminar on women leadership, websites and blocs for photographs and tourism among others.

Members of the Peer Review Committee encompass Franka Maria Andoh (author), Stephen Ofori (photographer), Mawuli Semevor (actor), Agyemfra Tettey (physicist / music programmer) and Diana Hopeson (musician / former president of MUSIGA)

GDCF board members comprise Mille Sofie Brandrup (First Secretary / Political Officer, Royal Danish Embassy in Accra), Prof. Irene Odotei (Director, Historical Society of Ghana) and Dr. Agyemang Osei (School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana).

Others are William Attipoe (Director of Finance & Administration, National Commission on Culture), Oh Nii Sowah (Lecturer, Dept. of Dance Studies, University of Ghana, Legon) and Akoss Ofori Mensah (Director, Sub Saharan Publishers).

Since 2012, when the GDCF commenced its second phase, it has released a total of GHc 987,622.55 for various arts projects throughout the country. These include publishing of books, documentary films, dance productions, acquisition of instruments / equipment, story telling and reading programmes for school kids among others.

The GDCF, which was set up in 2007, focuses on Ghana/Danish art/cultural exchanges while enhancing the work of Ghanaian artists and art professionals with emphasis on contemporary ideas based on Ghana’s rich cultural and traditional practices.

Five youthful groups from the Northern regional capital Tamale and its environs will on Saturday June 21 take part in the 6^th edition of New Music Ghana Festival.

Bizung School, North Wings, Suhuyini, Young Echoes and Yurlim Bands will participate in the festival, which would be held at the Youth Home Centre in Tamale. They are poised to showcase skills acquired following months of rehearsals and mentorships by senior musicians.

Various resource persons would hold workshops/seminars on “Domestic Hygiene/Sanitation”, “Use of Traditional Dance Movements on stage”, “Effective Expression of Ghanaian Music” and “Use of Social Marketing Tools” for participating musicians.

New Music Ghana Festival, which was initiated in 2009 by the Institute for Music and Development, empowers young musicians to develop a new music genre that originate from the numerous musical traditions in Ghana.

It also sensitizes the youth to appreciate and admire their own traditional musical forms and those of others while enhancing the understanding of cultural diversity through interaction with people from other cultures.

Undeniably, it has proven to be a resounding success. Indeed, it has brought together young and veteran musicians and has been a catalyst for the re-emergence of live band music among the youth while revitalizing a proud sense of cultural identity among young Ghanaian musicians.

New Music Ghana 2014 is being organized in collaboration with Arterial Network Ghana Chapter with support from the Goethe-Institut in Accra.