By John Owoo with files from Tokyo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Ghanaian flute magician Dela Botri and the Cuban Tres guitar virtuoso Hector Ferran alongside other musicians recently thrilled a capacity audience at the Akasaka Civic Centre in the Japanese capital Tokyo.

The artists proved the beauty and power of cross-cultural collaborations with an exquisite blend of traditional Ghanaian music and Cuban rumba that delighted members of the audience at the Cultural Centre.

It was an amazing performance that explored the history and customs of both countries and the amalgamation of music traditions, which have existed hundreds of years and have been subjected to analysis by ethnomusicologists from diverse parts of the world.

With Luis Valle (trumpet), Ludwig Nunez (drums), Kai Petite (bass), Armando Torres, Abraham Kamoah (gome) and Hector Ferran (keyboard) Aaron Bebe (xylophone), the group showcased different approaches to playing traditional music while creating a dramatic synthesis of different rhythms and beats.

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.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Ferran has developed a successful career in the Cuban and international music scene. In 2007, he was awarded in the prestigious Jojjaz contest based in the Cuban capital Havana.  

He has been a member of very important groups in Cuba including Lucia Huelgo, Emilio Vega, Raul Paz, Paulo FG, Laritza Bacallao and Waldo Mendoza among others. His work as a composer has been versatile and has a catalog of works in the field of concert, symphonic, Jazz and popular songs to his credit.

The performance, which was repeated in the Sakado Cultural Centre in Tokyo, was organized by the Embassies of Ghana and Cuba in Japan. It was sponsored by CLOUDY, Degas, DIDI GRANDE, Ethiopian Airlines, Fuji Oil, GRA, Index Strategy, JafriQ Radio, Lotte, Shimzu Corporation, TWO ROOMS and World Star Cafe.

Photos – Kengo Abe

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Results of an exploration into culture, identity and history by Rita Mawuena Benissan that involved the re-imagination of customary objects including the pervasive royal umbrella are currently on display at Gallery 1957 in Accra.

Indeed, the Ghanaian American interdisciplinary artist has reinterpreted the umbrella as an emblem of Ghanaian uniqueness while adopting a cross-disciplinary approach by redesigning them through a close collaboration with traditional umbrella markers.

Gigantic and vivid umbrellas on display at the Gallery show Benissan as master technician, who has generated interest among the public with installations that are replete with history, tradition, beauty, symbolism and elegance. 

Documented as part of Asante custom since the 18th century (possibly earlier), these umbrellas depict the various hierarchies of Akan chieftaincy and are normally decorated with patterns but the artist replaces them with other motifs and human figures.

She employs an archival portrait of a Ghanaian chief dressed in traditional robes and heavily accessorized in gold. Indeed, by crafting works that are part tapestry, part sculpture, Benissan reconfigures the role of the umbrella, turning it from an object symbolic of history and tradition to an item that in itself grapples with questions of memory and identity.

During processions, the Asantehene (Ashanti King) requires seven different umbrellas in addition to an eighth umbrella that is used as a reserve. During parades, the reserve umbrella replaces a malfunctioning umbrella until it is hurriedly repaired and swiftly brought back to the formation

A film by Benissan that was screened during the opening of the exhibition, showed umbrellas stripped of the ceremonial roles – indeed they comprise astonishing shots from the famous Makola Market surrounded by hundreds of umbrellas that shield market queens from the hot African sun.

Benissan received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Apparel and Textile Design from Michigan State University (USA) in 2017 and graduated in 2021 from the University of Wisconsin- Madison (USA) with a Master of Fine Arts in photography and an African Studies Program Certificate. 

She has showcased her work in several venues including Arts + Literature Laboratory in Wisconsin (2021 – USA), the Foundation Contemporary of Art, Afrochella Festival (2021 – Ghana), Gallery 1957 (2022 – Ghana), Dak’Art (2022 – Senegal) and in the group show “EFIE: Museum as Home” in Dortmund, Germany.

Through her foundation Si Hene, which focuses on preserving Ghana’s chieftaincy and traditional culture, Benissan helped to launch the reopening of the National Museum of Ghana in June 2022. She was the Chief Curator at the Institute Museum of Ghana (Noldor Artist Residency) till 2022.

Titled “In the World Not of the World”, the exhibition ends on Saturday June 17, 2023. It is being curated by Ekow Eshun.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Revolutionary artist Wanlov Kubolor alongside singer / songwriter Feli Nuna last Friday joined multi-instrumentalist Beda Ehrensperger and his Massive Tribe Band in a magnetic performance at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

Equipped with pre-produced loops on a laptop alongside drums and percussive instruments, they took the audience on a musical journey that showcased the power of improvisation, which effortlessly captured the attention of the audience who swung and rolled along.

With a warm and reassuring stage presence, Wanlov and Nuna went deep into their own world and dished out refreshing tunes while psychedelic embellishments grounded by deep grooves from members of Massive Tribe kept the stage alive and alert with high energy. 

Indeed, occasional injections of calmness alongside tasteful genres added to the inspirational nature of the music emanating from the stage as it drew attention to genuine creativity from the artists.

Wanlov has developed a “Gipsy” persona by wearing only wrappers and no shoes while styling himself as a voice for the masses. Undeniably, he has developed a strong socially conscious identity, which has led him campaign on diverse issues affecting deprived communities.

A graduate of the University of Ghana (Legon), Nuna signed her first record deal with Lynx Entertainment as “Felly” in 2012 and released her first single “Ghana Girl Swag”. She was also a judge on the voice of West Hills Mall in 2016 and has had the opportunity to perform on big platforms in Ghana and beyond.

During his studies at the Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland), Ehrensperger dedicated himself to Jazz, which provided him with a link to African rhythms. He felt compelled to move to Ghana and subsequently worked with master drummer Kofi Missiso and the “Ghana Cultural Ballet” and assimilated African music.

Goethe-Institut Ghana sponsored the concert.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Franco-Belgian artist Tiffanie Delune engages her audience with the magic of storytelling, which inevitably spark conversations and invoke emotions.

However, a close encounter reveals an intimacy, which she brings about through a rather deft combination of the ordinary and complex. Indeed, her brilliant colors, sheltered lines, intelligent stringing and sizeable scale gestures encompass her new body of work, which is currently on show at Gallery 1957 in Accra.

Curated by Rita Ouédraogo, her paintings, which abound with diverse colours and their ochres, capture diverse issues – love, anger, relative / absolute, fire, water and the corporeal among others that effectively transmit varied messages that emanate from her colorful canvasses.

Employing some form of narratives and abstraction, Delune is lucidly attesting to her sensibilities through feminine forms, circles, mazes, grids, lines and geometric shapes among others, which she effectively links to transcendent and distorted forms.

Nominated for the 2022 Norval Sovereign African Art Prize, her work equally radiates a soothing balance despite their complexity while analyzing imagined realities. Undeniably, a close encounter with her work eventually reveals the peace, harmony and calmness they convey.

In a disputed world, which is obviously inundated with challenges, she emphasizes on an unfiltered narrative in all its depth and authenticity. By letting go of any inhibitions in the choice of materials, she longs for textures, meanings and a sense of memory – from acrylic, pastels and papers to glitter and threads.

Largely a self-taught artist, Delune has fully immersed herself into her practice with daily rituals and creative challenges. Her work has since been exhibited in London, (UK) Paris (France), Lausanne (Switzerland), Lagos (Nigeria), New York and Los Angeles (USA).

She has been featured on Forbes, BBC Radio London, Contemporary And, The Financial Times and Cultured Magazine – and is held in the permanent collections of the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art (Geneva – Switzerland), New York Presbyterian Hospital for Women and Newborns (New York – USA) and The Women’s Art Collection, Murray Edwards College (Cambridge – United Kingdom).

Titled “There’s Gold on the Palm of my Hands”, the exhibition ends on Wednesday May 3, 2023.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Events marking the 2023 edition of World Highlife Day recently ended at the Goethe-Institut with a concert that sent a loud message to the effect that the resurgence of Ghanaian highlife is unstoppable.

Indeed, highlife is witnessing a remarkable rebirth, which is been pioneered by old and young artists who have chosen to pursue highlife music in its authentic form alongside inflections from other genres.

As one of the most acknowledged genres from Ghana and to some extent West Africa, highlife has transformed from palm wine music during the exploits of Koo Nimo to big bands that incorporate American funk and European pop music elements into their compositions.

Two bands – Santrofi and Abiza – which have kept the highlife tradition alive over the past several years, demonstrated a real passion to send this genre of music to the level it deserves through abrupt and frisking rhythms during a notable concert that marked the highlife day.

Energetic percussion, flying guitars, gripping saxophones and trumpets singularly and collectively powered gracefully couched melodies and indigenous songs, which electrified the stage and stupefied the audience.

Led by Emmanuel Ofori (Santrofi) and Akablay (Abiza), the groups displayed a cool fusion of foreign and traditional Ghanaian beats with highlife that amplified the stage while sprightly rhythms from trumpets and trombones filled the night air.

Amidst call-and-response vocals, both groups equally displayed the rudiments of highlife through a vivid mix of palm wine highlife, funk and kundum rhythms from the Western region as they merged tradition and modernity.

Initiated by Akablay, World Highlife Day seeks to celebrate highlife through concerts that showcase new artistic creations, seminars, lectures and workshops.

Goethe-Institut Ghana supported the concert.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

The night air at the Goethe-Institut was filled with wild rhythms from two traditional Ghanaian string instruments – Kologo and Gonje – alongside trombones, trumpets, guitars and keyboards, which turned the space into a music groove.

Indeed, Village Junction, an eight-piece band with Anthony Awingura on kologo and gonje, exhibited staggering energy during the hugely entertaining concert that emphasized the power and capabilities of traditional Ghanaian instruments.

With Ebenezer Obeng (drums), Nicholas Dadzie (bass), Daniel Quarshie (guitar), Elijah Fosu (trumpet), Michael Barnor (trombone) and Caleb Obeng (keyboard), the group showcased spectacular virtuosity while making use of all the tricks and extended techniques they have mastered over the years.

“The introduction of these traditional instruments as lead appliances made a huge difference. It is important for Ghanaian groups to showcase the competences of these instruments”, said Ute Schmidt, an anthropologist from the German capital, Berlin.

“It was a remarkable achievement, although technically complex – indisputably, the symbolism will not be lost on anyone deprived of such powerful music over the past years”, added Kofi Oduro, a musician in Accra.

As the night dragged on, tune after tune appeared to emerge from the depths of a pit while floating effortlessly through a suspenseful soundscape that caught the attention of patrons, who cheered and applauded in response.

The concert, without doubt showcased a sprightly relaxed set – with Awuni’s kologo / gonje providing a thrumming heartbeat to what appeared as improvisational yet solid compositions that triggered deep reflection.

Guitarist Nii Osabu Lozo and singer / songwriter Brenya jammed the concert with their own flair and nuances as they inundated the stage with voices that seemed to soar in the air like birds in flight.

A film by Jakob Gegenbach titled “LABADI – Sounds of a Neighborhood”, which documented residents of Labadi, a sprawling neighborhood of Accra and characterized by a variety of sounds and noises was screened as part of events lined up for the evening.

Goethe-Institut Ghana sponsored the concert.

By John Owoo

(In Johannesburg – South Africa)

Fifty-four years after his first solo exhibition, 74-year-old South African artist Norman Catherine is showcasing his works at the swanky Circa Gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Titled “Head to Toe”, the show confirms a captivating understanding of the creative practice of Catherine, which has spanned several decades through an amazing capacity of exploring complex themes while merging diverse materials. 

Psycho-surreal delineations of human and animal themes alongside those of violence, sexuality and a number of social issues that confront South Africa and the world at large emerge as one moves from one piece to the other. 

Catherine’s sculptures, which employ discarded objects including customized fiberglass shop window mannequins, bathroom fixtures and garden taps, which he once fitted with resin testicles for his sexually suggestive “Tapticle” series” in 1974, simply enchant the viewer. 

Unquestionably, he has extended his repertoire from fiberglass to painted wood and more recently bronze through collaborations with foundries including Workhorse Bronze Foundry and sculptor Angus Taylor’s Dionysus Sculpture Works, where he produced the monumental bronze “Head to Toe” in 2022.

His works reveal a dystopian foresight of the socio-political situation, which enlightens his inner consciousness – indeed, history, horror, crime, conflict, psychoses and politics among others – serve as stimuli for his creative output,which constantly move from surrealistic realms to real live scenarios. 

He communicates his sarcastic vision through a collocation of dark and light sensibilities while alternating between adream-like world alongside a physical and material world that leave the viewer in deep thoughts and feelings. 

With Catherine, human figures transfigure into dogs, snakes, crocodiles with body parts that appear to be possessed by brutish influences thereby exposing his biosphere, which is equally tumultuous and alluring while reveal his dark humour. 

“Head to Toe” evidences Catherine’s commitment to graft, the pleasures that underpin revision, refinement and reinvention. The selection foregrounds his printmaking and sculpture. It may be recalled that his earliest resolved work from the 1970s used these two media to conjure psycho-surreal depictions of human and animal subjects.

The Circa Gallery was constructed in 2009 alongside the Everard Read gallery, which is Johannesburg’s oldest private art gallery. An architectural landmark, the building has received awards for its striking design and its green credentials, with solar panels and rainwater tanks making it one of the most self-sufficient buildings in the plush suburb of Rosebank.

The exhibition ends on Sunday April 9, 2023.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana) 

Works by Ghanaian artist Al Hassan Issah that are currently on display at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra appear utilitarian – indeed recognizable and unrecognizable at the same time. 

However, a close encounter and observation appositely reveals the depth of research conducted by Issah on the rich history to Kumasi and by extension the Ashanti, whose past is replete with battles, unity, philosophy, norms and an intricate system of traditional authority / governance.  

Titled “Kum Ase – A Field Filled with Golden Spikes” and curated by Tracy Thompson, Issah’s exhibition powerfully reveals the integration of different cultures through art, architecture, trade, conflict and clothing among others, which tend to border on tradition and modernity.

Indeed – window frames, drawings, paintings mounted on designer metal frames, flags decked with gold and silver totems, fork shaped metals straddled on wooden stands among others – evolved from the densely layered history of Kumasi. 

He reminds us of ironic cultures that have existed from the 6^th Century BC – these include sculptures of the Nok, Bronze forges from the old Benin Empire (some of which have recently being restituted and are back in Nigeria), Hausa / Moorish architecture and Ashanti Gold Weights among others. 

Issah equally recaps the mixture of cultures through an intelligent use of Chinese Scuba Cloths, Gothic Architecture Frames, Arabesque Forms and Victorian Floral Wallpapers alongside diverse hybrid forms that capture the imagination of viewers.

His frame is not the end or a negative empty space – indeed, he traps viewers into photographic repetitions of metal frames that do not end with symbolic representations of scrolls – but also the material breakdown of un-mixable vegetable oils and water-based acrylics. 

“Kum Ase – A Field filled with Golden Spikes” is a trilogy exhibition by Issah, which is running concurrently at the KNUST Jubilee Mall (Kumasi) and Red Clay Studios (Tamale). It ends on Monday April 17, 2023.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

An exhibition of paintings by Naa Chainkua Reindorf that serve as an initial visual introduction to the seven characters that make up “Mawu Nyonu” is currently underway at the Nubuke Foundation in Accra. 

Mawu Nyonu (roughly translated from Ewe as “God is a Woman”) is a fictional secret society of Reindorf’s imagination that explores deviance and nonconformity through the art of masquerading, which is prevalent in diverse African societies. 

Armed with deep inspiration from her experiences as well as historical descriptions of the “Mino Warriors” (a Dahomean all-female military regiment and the hierarchies in Vodun cosmology), she explores themes of world-building and storytelling.

This enables her fashion fantastical alter-egos rooted in the contemporary – each embodying extreme traits that explore and celebrate unrestrained self-expression – while depicting nude and dark figures of sexy female warriors and goddesses in various postures. 

Employing lines that tend to border her paintings alongside textiles, Reindorf relies heavily on the fictional secret society she crafted, which explores deviance and nonconformity through the art of masquerading. 

Undeniably, Reindorf expresses her fascination with how a human body can become a vessel for the projection of identities, experiences and messages while examining how fluid transitions can be between these projections. 

The fencing material employed by the artist evokes borders and boundaries as well as confinement and limitations – and this is in the light of the huge migrant issues confronting the world on the Mediterranean Sea, the Sahara Desert and elsewhere. 

A mixed media artist and mythmaker, Reindorf’s work – which ranges from large-scale tapestries and paintings to immersive sculptural installations – are realized through an exploration of and an ode to the rich cultural history of West African textiles.

Focusing largely on the complexities and visual culture surrounding masquerades and ceremonial costumes, she incorporates contemporary materials into her work while using these historical textiles and costumes as inspiration to investigate ongoing social topics centered on politics of dress, identity and gender as well as their close relation to culture and tradition 

She has exhibited in several countries including France, Germany, Italy, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Nigeria, the United States and Ghana. She was part of a group of artists that showcased their works at the Ghana Pavilion of the 2022 Venice Biennale. 

The exhibition ends on Saturday March 11, 2023. 

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana) 

An exhibition of works by Ghanaian surrealist Edwin Boye that combine elements of traditional photography with digital manipulation that result in unique / striking images is currently underway at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.

Opened by the Ghanaian artist / writer Bernard Asihene, images on display challenge viewers to explore untamed thoughts while mentally processing the works, which transfigures ordinary scenes into dreamlike and fantastical ones.  

Also known as Mad Creative, he is particularly known for his ability to capture the energy and spirit of people and places while infusing subtle comments on time, education, life sequences, dreams, joy, balloons and extra-terrestrial life.

Titled “Science of My Untamed Thoughts”, Mad Creative makes an effective use of lights, darks and shadows while managing to balance the coherent vision of life with that of the abstract while balancing the conscious with the unconscious, dreams with reality and conventional with the non-conventional.  

He transcribes his imagination into digital artworks and creates dreamlike images, which unveil the subconscious as well as share narratives that encourage better conditions for blacks. Employing digital tools, he leaves little details in his visuals that reflect thoughts, impulses, emotions and memories. 

Largely a self-taught artist, Mad Creative was educated at the University of Professional Studies in Accra where he graduated with a Diploma in Marketing and has collaborated with diverse artists from Ghana and beyond while participating in projects initiated by Berg Gallery in Accra.

Sponsored by Goethe-Institut Ghana, the exhibition ends on Tuesday February 28, 2023.