By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Ghanaian artist Nii Amasah Abifao has over the past few years being performing in various parts of Accra with diverse messages that comment on life, death, pain, sanitation, health and peace.

In recent times, the push for performance art has naturally extended to artists whose distinctiveness is somehow excluded from the traditions championed by the art world and art history. Indeed, it’s always been important to drive and generate conversations that are not within the mainstream.

Although funerals in Ghana are solemn, respectful and dignified, they are also characterized by church services and complicated rituals. Undeniably, wild parties and processions amidst the chanting of dirges and frenetic drumming also portray these memorials.  

In a performance titled “Remember Death”, the artist who was clad in red-stripped batakari, jeans shorts, Zoom Lion branded wellington boots and a powdered face, commandeered a tricycle that has been remodeled into a hearse, which served as an integral part of his performance.

With a retinue of mourners and musicians – one of them clad in a red flowing gown, the hearse passed through the popular Accra neighbourhood of Osu onward to the cemetery, which is easily one of the oldest in the city of Accra.

With a Bible in hand, Abifao together with the procession continued on the streets as bewildered onlookers watched in awe. Severally and jointly, they reminded pedestrians and motorists of the mortality of humans and the stress, pain, agony and financial challenges that come with the loss of relatives or friends.

On arrival at the cemetery, the artist carried the coffin on his head and proceeded to the grave while exhibiting intense emotion and apprehension. On the contrary, the mourners follow silently in tow as they reach the final moments of bidding farewell to the “deceased”.  

After burial, a rather distract Abifao reads a Bible on one of the tombstones and is comforted by a priest with tears flowing without ceasing as the pain and agony of losing a loved one become increasing apparent.

Pictures: Nii Tackie Yarboi

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Women of Colour, an all female band from Ghana recently enchanted fans in the Ivorian capital Abidjan with a unique sound that encompassed a cool blend of Highlife, Afro Beat, rock and traditional music.

Performing at the 2020 edition of Market for Performing Arts Abidjan (MASA), the group surprised a cheering audience with varied and concise rhythms alongside stylistic compositions soaked in stocky blasts of melody.

Led by vocalist / composer Della Hayes, the ladies treated the crowd to high paced tunes, pulsating rhythms and a magnetic stage presence while soothing vocals reverberated through the Salle Anoumabo theatre, which is located within the National Theatre complex.

Like a painter filling the outlines of his paintings with translucent colour, the group dished out an extra-ordinary fusion of assorted rhythms and beats as horns-women showcased the power, dexterity, flexibility and capabilities of female artists.

Lyrics by Hayes, which tackled subjects such as sex education, drug abuse, peace and humility, were rather refreshing but made little impact on the largely French speaking audience, who nonetheless appeared to be having a real good time. 

Indeed, her songs appeared to spread consummate pleasure among members of the audience as the instrumentalists sent out amusing rhythms and beats while colorful bamboo sticks banged the stage in rhythmic fashion.

Since its launch, Women of Colour Band has rapidly gained popularity in Ghana and beyond by performing with a number of acclaimed Ghanaian music stars including Kojo Antwi, Becca, Shirifi and the Ivorian icon Meiway among others.

It has also made bold appearances at a tribute concert for Mc Tontoh of Osibisa fame, Music of Ghanaian Origin Festival and others. Hayes has also performed in the Cuban capital Havana with Hava Juano la Cubano at La Zorra y el Cuervo and at the Café Concert Gato Tuerto.

MASA is a cultural platform for promoting African Performing arts with the objectives of supporting creativity and quality productions while facilitating the movement of artists and their works within the African continent.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A display of paintings that explore the African environment and traditional Ghanaian imagery by Wiz Kudowor and Sami Bentil will on Tuesday March 31 close at the prestigious Ghana Club in Accra.

An Osaka Triennial award winner, Kudowor’s abstracted works – which draw inspiration from cubist and futuristic styles – allude to lush body contours, huge eyes, symbols, lines, masked faces and shapes that terminate in scenes of lyrical beauty, sensuous forms and glowing evanescent colour.

His symbols, which are inspired by diverse African cultures, reflect both modern and ancient African environment / identity. Indeed, he equally explores elements of Ghanaian traditions by employing a visual language inspired by African symbolic imagery and mythology, some of which date back to the Middle Ages.

Through a contemplative exploration of issues brewing around him – Kudowor turns the canvass into intrinsic dreams, ideas, thoughts, questions and expectations that culminate in a myriad of messages, which recall the vulnerability, capacity, sexuality and power of past and current societies. 

Paintings by Bentil commemorate the grandiose splendor, spirituality and the didactic functions of Ghanaian symbolism and imagery owing to a dedicated quest to preserve African cultural distinctiveness and uniqueness.

Employing pointillism, which he has mastered over the years, his rural settings and traditional models such as huts, pots, horn players and clothing are enriched with modern touches while pointing to a distinctive mix of reminiscence, social interpretation and spirituality.

With millions of dots in fluctuating sizes alongside a good grasp of traditional Akan culture, Bentil effectively blends colours with subtle yet intensely textured hues that attract and sustain the interest of viewers while transmitting messages on his culture.

Located on the fringes of the Marine Drive Project in Accra – Ghana Club, which was originally known as Gold Coast Club – was established in 1947 as a counterpoint to the then European Club, which was for expatriates.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Murals by over thirty painters that incorporated elements of Ga Adangbe culture and traditions have transformed the Ako Adjei Interchange in Accra into a visual feast of figures, shapes, symbols and colours. 

Images on the giant concrete walls and columns of the interchange make references to festivals, royals, totems, rituals, fishing, emblems, stools, priests and others that reveal the diversity, variety and beauty of Ga Adangbe culture.

Indeed, symbols on display focus on empathetic individual experiences that inform personal development and involvement within the population since community / kinfolk are highly regarded among Gas – and this is evident through marriage ceremonies and outdooring of babies among others.

Equally depicted are spiritual practices, reverence for the ocean and the universe, philosophical thoughts, cleansing rituals, symbols of communication, theatrical aesthetics and visual representations of mythical imaginations.

Several symbols denote unity and harmony, which obviously make references to the “nomadic” life initially adopted by the Gas as they traveled from one place to the other while encountering and fighting diverse invaders and aggressors, who attempted to halt their journey.

The Ga Adangbes are believed to have set off from Goshen (Egypt) between 672 and 525 BC. On that journey, they crossed Ethiopia and moved into Nigeria and migrated across West Africa and finally settled in Ghana, which eventually became their permanent home.

Currently, they are mostly found in the Greater Accra Plains with others in the towns of Akuse, Somanya, Dodowa, Akwapim, Akwamu and surrounding areas in Ghana with another community in the Anecho area of Togo.

The mural was made possible under the auspices of the Creative Arts Council of Ghana, Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly in collaboration with the Ghana Association of Visual Artists and AccraDotAlt.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Les Guirivoires group from La Côte d’Ivoire on Tuesday lighted up the Palais de la Culture with varied traditional dance pieces during an animated performance at MASA 2020, which ended last Saturday with dissimilar performances. 

Accompanied by a wide variety of drumming, the dancers moved severally and jointly as they showcased a choreographed piece on traditional dances that ranged from initiation rites to courtship and other ceremonial dances.

Clad in colorful costumes with some dancers sporting bare but painted breasts, the group dazzled the audience with brisk forward and sideward thrusts of arms alongside rippling gestures and gyrating waists.

“It was an elegant performance – undeniably, they worked their way into the hearts and souls of the crowd like a delicate rose flower”, said Maurice Andre, a teacher from the French capital, Paris.

Each segment is filled with inventive dance details together with solos and duets that are sensitive exploits of remarkable springs on stage. Indeed, the dancers moved with grace and elegance as the audience watched with keen attention.

Exhibiting dedication and astute skill – they displayed gusty and jumpy delivery with an enviably well drilled precision – alongside rousing natural togetherness, thereby drawing cheers and applause in the process.

Les Guirivoires was formed by Ivorian / American actress, singer, songwriter and playwright Marie Rose Guiraud, who was initiated into dance at a tender age and began her artistic career as a spiritual dancer and traditional singer at the age of four.

She is the founder/director of several social and charitable institutions including Private School of Dance and Cultural Exchange, Fondation Guiraud MR/EDEC and two dance companies in Côte d’Ivoire – Les Guirivoires and Les Guirettes.

In the United States of America, she created the NGO Société 501 (C3) Guiraud McDonnald Cultural Exchange Inc and the Guirivoire Danse Théâtre Company, which is based in New York.

The Market for African Performing Arts Abidjan festival ends on Saturday March 14, 2020.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

A large-scale exhibition of works by thirty African artists opened last Wednesday at the newly constructed Musée des Cultures Contemporaines Adama Toungara, which is located in the sprawling Abidjan suburb of Abobo.

Opened by the Ivorian first lady Madam Dominique Ouattara, the traveling exhibition, which commenced in the Moroccan commercial capital Casablanca in 2019, is a bold move that is showcasing African artworks that are usually seen in European capitals.

Dubbed “Prête-Moi Ton Rêve” and curated by Ivorian academic Prof. Yacouba Konate and Moroccan art consultant Brahim Alaoui, the exhibition, which is easily the largest touring show in Africa, also aims at reversing the obscurity of African artists on the continent by presenting their works and personalities to crowds in various countries.

Organized by the Fondation pour le Développement de la Culture Contemporaine Africaine (FDCCA) under its able director Fihr Kettani, the show emphasizes the importance of collaboration across the continent in changing the rubrics of engagement with African art.

Artists on show include Zimbabwean artist Sithabile Mlotshwa, Ghanaian painter / sculptor Kofi Setordji, Algerian painter Zoulikha Bouabdellah, Ivorian sculptor Jems Robert Kobobi, Egyptian painter Adel El Siwi, Malian weaver Abdoulaye Konate, South African sculptor Jane Alexander, Congolese painter Chéri Samba, Beninois painter / sculptor Dominique Zinkpe and Cameroonian painter Barthélémy Toguo.

With a unique format in showcasing works, curators in each city are at liberty to interpret and put their own spin on the exhibition. In this direction – the focus will be on a Pan-African event that accedes to the needs of local people – thereby making it more accessible to various communities, while highlighting the distinctions of African cities. 

The exhibition is equally meant to act as an inspiration for young African artists as they aspire to show their works on the continent since they have a lot to offer in the development of Africa. It also aims at ensuring that collectors recognize the continent as a place worthy of attention and erode the notion that artists would only gain attention after leaving Africa.

It is expected to take place in seven cities – Casablanca (Morocco), Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Lagos (Nigeria), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Cape Town (South Africa) and Marrakech (Morocco) – all of which have stimulating new art markets.

“Prête-Moi Ton Rêve”, which also marked the official opening of Musée des Cultures Contemporaines Adama Toungara, ends on Sunday April 19, 2020.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

The Pan African Youth Orchestra (PAYO) yesterday treated over 5000 students in the Ivorian capital Abidjan to its brand of music, which is characterized by diverse traditional rhythms and their contemporary extensions.

Conducted by Kweku Kwakye, the Ghanaian group – which comprised over twenty musicians – treated the huge crowd to combination traditional rhythms that have been reworked and expanded into neo-classical pieces.

Indeed, rhythms from a vast array of traditional instruments including giant fontonfrom drums, xylophones, atentenben flutes, talking drums and a variety of shakers / bells sent fans on a musical journey that is definitely on the contemporary tip but with its heart and soul firmly embedded in Africa. 

Undeniably, an extraordinary bunch of kids playing extraordinary music coupled with the superb direction by Kwakye turned the performance into an African celebration – a celebration that enjoined African kids appreciating their past in contemporary terms.

Interspersed with continuous cheers and catcalls from the students, PAYO created tradition within tradition while showcasing conventional music in an orchestral disposition that recalled the authenticity of indigenous African music and compositions by primordial musicians.

Through a new synthesis that is jubilant and vitally rhythmic, PAYO worked its way into the hearts of the students, some of who jumped onto the stage and performed Ivorian traditional dances as their peers cheered and supported them with rhythmic clapping. 

With a voice a voice that is high, supple and charged with enthusiasm, a female atenteben player surprised the crowd as she sang a solo that reverberated through the rather huge auditorium that overlooks lagoon Ebrie with amazing speed.  

The concept of MASA was developed in 1990 at the Liege conference of Ministers of Culture and Francophonie. In 1998, MASA was officially named an international organization for the promotion of African performing arts and in January 1999, an agreement was signed between La Côte d’Ivoire and MASA in respect of establishing its headquarters in the capital Abidjan.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Robust dancer / choreographer Agathe Djokam never ceases to surprise audiences whenever she mounts the stage – and she did pull a huge one at the ongoing MASA festival in the Ivorian capital Abidjan.

Performing her latest piece titled “A Qui Le Tour?” at a plush theatre in the Palais de la Culture, the young dancer showcased arresting images as she exposed the threads of life’s experiences with a body overlain by tremors.

In sharing the frustration and depression associated with mourning, the Cameroonian opened the performance at the foyer of the theatre with a skipping rope – and virtually skipped for fifteen minutes and continued the act even as the rope fell off signifying a state of confusion.

As she found her way onto the stage, she descended into her own world and exhibited convulsive body shakes, quivering and self-torture while managing to sustain alternation between calmness and anguish.

With distinct movements – all of which depicted distress and torment – the dancer who was clad in black, effectively employed her body not only to show or expose the feeling of anxiety but equally illustrated how to manage, cope and dispel it.

In a performance that witnessed constant movement on stage, the Hung Dance Company from Taiwan delivered a piece that is quite unclear but engulfed the theatre with fast moving scenes that caught eyes with every move.

Dubbed “Boundless”, the production radiated agitation and turmoil – indeed, conflict is clearly invoked through clenched fists, flying legs, wild stares, shadowy battles and sexually aggressive drives that come into play severally and jointly.

Choreographed by Lai Hung-Chung, the piece was characterized by long sequences in which dancers fall and bounce back on their feet with lightening speed while images move in a rather fast yet in near unsystematic manner.

MASA is a cultural platform for promoting African Performing arts with the objectives of supporting creativity and quality productions while facilitating the movement of artists and their works within the African continent.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Dance segment for the 2020 edition of Abidjan Market for Performing Arts Festival opened last night in Abidjan with a variety of groups spread over the African continent.

In a memorable performance at Salle Kodjo Ebouclé, located within Palais de la Culture, the Hakili Sigi Dance Company from Burkina Faso brought a magnetic presence, technique and abundant personality to a duet that simply sparkled like the sun.

Choreographed by Lacina Coulibaly and performed alongside Ibrahim Zongo, the pair perfectly synced sculptural poses while moving in slow motion that often end with their bodies in a supple flow, which is powered by a glowing inner strength.

Employing subtle movements, the duo unfolded the piece titled “Sen Koro La” with highly expressive movements that were effectively bookended by grandiose sequences, which bonded with the spotlights shinning faintly on the stage.

Performing bare-chested with white loincloths on their waists, the two dancers radiated energy in a flurry of moves as their well-crafted bodies – obviously from bodybuilding – transmitted messages on the evocation of sacred choreographic universe and traditional African rites.

Accompanied by diverse recorded music including “Mmensoun” from the OPUS one album composed by Ghanaian musicologist Nana Danso Abiam, Coulibaly and Zongo worked their way into the hearts of members of the audience with nimble actions that gradually turned into swift ones.

Oshala Dance Company from Benin engaged the audience with a choreographed Voodoo dance that showcased the traditions of Voodoo through ritualistic music, dance and magical / mystical performances.

With colorful costumes and Vodoo paraphernalia serving as scenography, the musicians displayed wild rhythms that flowed from an array of traditional drums while vigorous and animated dancers / singers crisscrossed the stage.

They equally presented enthusiastic, frantic and acrobatic dances as well as beautiful, harmonious and rhythmically infectious sounds that encircled the theatre alongside enigmatic and varied percussion.

The 2020 edition of the festival, which was opened by the Ivorian Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan, ends on Saturday March 14. Over one hundred groups and artists are expected to perform in various locations during the festival.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Didgeridoo, a wind instrument developed by Aboriginals from northern Australia alongside natural sounds from bubbles spurting out of a bowl of water, characterized a poetry session by Rhymesonny and Ofosua at the Goethe-Institut on Thursday.  

With improvisations from musicians Adotey Brown and Danny Tettey Black, the two poets coolly navigated poems on diverse subject matters and themes with remarkable combination of authority, tenderness and restraint.

A creative entrepreneur who has been an indefatigable champion of the cause of contemporary poetry in Ghana, Rhymesonny surprised the audience with a playful prodding of various issues that proved his designation as a lyrical master.

Sporting a cute low cut hair, Ofosua delivered poems that are deeply attentive in detail and managed to keep the audience at the edge of their seats with memorable narratives. Indeed, her practical poems were geared towards significant points alongside vivid imagery.

“It is so refreshing to be in the midst of poets and poetry lovers – we want poetry performances to be widespread in Ghana – undeniably, we the poets must be at the forefront of any programme designed to ensure that it actually happens”, said Yaw Mensah, a young poet in Accra.  

“It was a big surprise to see poets employing didgeridoo and other improvised instruments for a poetry performance in Ghana. These young poets are taking the act to another level – no wonder live poetry is gaining followers in the country”, added Yaa Twum, a Ghanaian writer based in the United Kingdom.

Created over one thousand years ago by isolated Aboriginal tribes, hard bass rhythms from the didgeridoo created an emotive and relaxing atmosphere on the serene balcony of the Goethe-Institut as poems rhythmically and leisurely flowed from the stage.

During a segment for discussion, members of the audience raised issues relating to the categorization of poetry in Ghana owing to the fact that most ceremonies and day to day activities by Ghanaians are replete with poetry while others called for a concerted effort to promote contemporary poetry in the country.

They further acknowledged the Goethe-Institut for its support and creation of a space for poetry in Ghana while calling on other institutions and venues to follow the laudable example of the Institut.