By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Vaudou Game, a Franco-Togolese band over the weekend rolled out a refreshing fusion of vodoo and funk rhythms that turned the Alliance Française into a rocking musical experience.

In a powerful performance that opened the 2019 edition of Francophonie Festival, the group delighted the near capacity crowd with a penetrating show that revealed the beauty and diversity of cross cultural collaboration.

With three French and three Togolese musicians on stage, the scene was set for a multi cultural experience that embraced sacred songs of voodoo traditions in Benin and Togo as well as indigenous and western rhythms that coolly created a harmonious sound. 

Led by guitarist / singer Peter Solo, who was clad in multiple layers of beads, western instruments alongside shakers, bells and other traditional percussive instruments combined modernity and tradition, which were jointly and severally upheld on stage.  

Interspersed with strong rhythmic grooves and bass lines as well as messages on the voodoo faith by Solo, the group blended haunting lines, which are sung in honour of divinities with highly energetic funk ones that drew some members of the audience to the dance floor.

Undeniably, the group articulated contemporary experiences through an effervescent expropriation of rhythms from traditional African religion while blending it with funk and elements of jazz, soul and blues among others.   

The term “Francophonie” refers to all the states and governments worldwide who share the French language. The International Organization of La Francophonie, which was created in 1970, represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world.

Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway alongside Francophonie ambassadors in Ghana were present at the opening ceremony.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Acclaimed Ghanaian poet / literary coach Nana Asaase virtually stunned a capacity crowd at the Goethe-Institut in Accra with a non-stop performance of several inspirational poems that captures the essentials of life.

Accompanied by guitarist Hashmullah, Asaase’s prolific voice forcefully transmitted his messages, which ranged from politics, love, hope, divinity, Africa to tradition to an audience that practically expressed their deep interest with rapt attention.

Clad in a colourful kente cloth wrapped around his body, the poet began with a memorial to the late Emeritus Prof J.H. Kwabena Nketia, who died early in the morning by capturing his contributions to the development of music in Ghana, Africa and the world at large.

Decked with a traditional sword and a calabash in hand, Asaase gave a compelling rendition of touching, witty and sharp poetry as tranquil guitar riffs helped transform the performance into a dramatic blend of poetry and music. 

“Asaase is an astute performer – undeniably, he has a very smart way of entertaining his audience while creating a forum for intellectual encounter and contemplation. We need to support and encourage this style of approach to poetry performance”, said Yaw Owusu, a musician in Accra.

Rendered largely in English and Twi, the audience was treated to thought-provoking by Asaase, whose honesty, humor and story-telling prowess, has won fans across Ghana and parts of Europe. Indeed, his ability to capture the universal truths of a story we all know and love, has endeared him to the hearts of his fans.

Asaase, who aspires to be one of Africa’s greatest literary evidences of the world, has performed to enthusiastic crowds and held workshops and master classes in various parts of Ghana, the United Kingdom and other parts of Africa.   

The performance forms part of monthly acoustic sessions dubbed “Goethe Abansoro”, which offers artists and their audiences a cozy atmosphere on a decorated terrace to interact while enjoying music, poetry or both.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

A compelling duet by Israeli dancers Oded Ronen and Ligal Melamed last week turned the ETS Drama Studio at the University of Ghana (Legon) into a dance groove, where agile bodies freely explored abstract issues and concepts.

Titled “Capsule”, the piece is a philosophical one with the two dancers exhibiting class and craft through restrained and composed movements. Indeed, it encompasses diverse notions including identity, relationships, community and beliefs among others.

With dozens of card boxes strewn across the stage, Ronen and Melamed employed rather sublime and tender body movements while constructing, assembling, destroying and exploring the mythology of relationships.

Interspersed with music by Ronen Kozokaro – arms, torsos, heads, hands and other body parts were constantly in motion. Employing classical virtuosity, they effectively combined contemporary sensibilities while unfolding a fascinating experience characterized by majesty and mystery.

Choreographed by Ronen, “Capsule” is equally about mutual discovery, tenderness and ecstasy that are beautifully articulated through the choreography. Undeniably, a great deal of energy emanated from the stage as the dancers moved with amazing ease from one sequence to the other.

In some instances they pick up the card boxes so gently it feels as if it embodies their soul – and other cases they just shuffle them around and dump them. In the end, they reassemble them in an upright and delicate manner as their bodies interchanged through expressive movements and gestures.

Earlier, choreographers / dancers Kofi Anthonio and Sena Atsugah enchanted the audience with a short piece titled “The Match”. With bodies moving in unison alongside subtle curves and tilts, they unveiled a sleek, compelling and moving piece that is equally visually stimulating.

The pair, who are also academics, vividly showcased the fact that their versatility as performers has grown with smart and unpredictable works in recent times. Indeed, they appeared to be full of freshness, calmness and zeal as they moved from one end of the stage to the other.

Accompanied by a choir from the Music Department, Anthonio and Atsugah, who are with the Department of Dance Studies, wove together an exhilarating order of movements as they exited the stage with grace and composure.

Present at the performance, which forms part of activities marking a project dubbed “Dance Bridges” include HE Shani Cooper Zubeida (Israeli Ambassador in Ghana), Prof. Kofi Agyekum (Dean of the School of Performing Arts) and Dr. Sylvanus Kuwor (Head, Department of Dance Studies).

Israeli Embassy in Accra organized “Dance Bridges”, which also encompassed lectures, workshops, film screenings and master classes in collaboration with the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, Legon.

By Dr. Bernard Akoi-Jackson

(In Tamale – Ghana)

The Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) in Tamale is honoured to debut its programming with the exhibition: “Galle Winston Kofi Dawson: In Pursuit of something ‘Beautiful’, perhaps…”.

The exhibition, which opens on Friday March 15, is a retrospective on the work of Ghanaian modernist Kofi Dawson (b. 1940) who coined the term Afro-Journalism to describe his socially committed art practice. “Galle Winston Kofi Dawson: In Pursuit of something ‘Beautiful’, perhaps…” charts the complex trajectory of an artist whose body of works stretches across a multiplicity of forms including serigraphy, etching, wood cut, ink and line drawing, acrylic and oil painting, collage, sculpture and installation.

A potentially turbulent period spanning more than fifty years of incredible dedication to artistic innovation, experimentation and political resolve is encapsulated in the curatorial selection of objects and texts. Whilst the greater portion of the exhibited works is selected from Dawson’s own holdings, a significant number is loaned or borrowed from a fair sampling of his collector base in Ghana.

Kofi Dawson’s multifaceted drawings, paintings, prints and objects, as well as his perplexing texts are saturated archives, which are typical examples of his Afro-Journalism. They become likened to crystalline portents that delicately weave vast realms for curious minds to probe.

In a piece of drawing or painting, we experience a density of hatches, cross-hatches; a skillful configuration of optical space and form. The unsettling straightforwardness of subject matter may sometimes be foiled by witty double takes that offer a visual spectacle as though one is holding up a diamond to the light. The experience is sublime.

Kofi Dawson’s life and work effectively condense an attitude of tenacity characteristic of a modernist ethos and openness to uncertainty that drives contemporary life. Despite his potentially gigantic stature in the Ghanaian context and the fact that he has participated in a tall list of local and international workshops, seminars, residencies and exhibitions across the West African region and elsewhere, Dawson has remained, to quite a large extent, very independent of the international art world.

This can be attributed in part, to the dearth of a robust institutional support system for (Contemporary) art in Ghana, and on the other hand, to his enigmatic disposition in relation to the art world. He participates enthusiastically, even to obsessive levels within the Ghanaian Art scene, attending exhibition openings, contributing work to group exhibitions, facilitating or taking part in workshops. At such events, whether it is an art exhibition, talk or seminar, as an ardent participant, Dawson is constantly making copious notes.

But when it comes to issues of self-promotion or pseudo-artistic posturing, he is extremely distant from the scene. A fair amount of his artistic output has been collected, bought or donated and can be found in a number of notable collections. It is out of this massive legacy that we make humble selections to share with the world.

The SCCA is an artist run project space, exhibition and research hub, cultural repository and artists’ residency. It is an initiative of world-renowned Ghanaian artist, Ibrahim Mahama, as a contribution towards the development and expansion of the contemporary art scene in Ghana. SCCA-Tamale intends, with its diverse programming and research interests, to spotlight significant moments in Ghanaian and international art in a communal space.

Affiliated to blaxTARLINES KUMASI, the Centre is operated by committed, dedicated and generous persons who produce critical discourse that will eventually be disseminated through exhibitions, publications and allied activities. SCCA is dedicated to art and cultural practices, which emerged in the 20th Century and inspire generations of artists and thinkers of the 21st Century and beyond.

Join us on Friday March 15 to celebrate the life and work of Galle Winston Kofi Dawson, a gem of modernist Ghanaian art and probably one of the harbingers of the contemporary ethos.

Dr. Akoi-Jackson is curating the exhibition.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

The colour black – which is often associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, rebellion, aggression and mystery – is at the centre of an ongoing exhibition by Yibor Kojo Yibor at the Goethe-Institut in Accra. 

Black, which is also associated with the unknown, equally has a negative connotation owing to words and expressions like blackmail, blacklist, black holes, black out and black magic. Nevertheless, it is also required for all colours to have depth and variation of hues.

Over forty wooden sculptures by Yibor that are in alterable forms, are painted black and stand upright in a circle at the foyer of the Institut. Interspersed with black rectangular metal cases, which also house three sculptures, they indicate various stages of the life of the artist – birth, adolescence and old age.

Yibor aka Sir Black is obviously infatuated with the colour black – within the circle of sculptures are installations of black personal items spread evenly on black cloth. These include rice, combs, towels, plates, pens, cutlery, brushes, deodorants, and mirrors among others that visually reference his day-to-day life.

Tucked conspicuously in the courtyard is a gigantic wooden frame also covered with black cloth, which houses a black baby cot and an upright standing black coffin set against a rather dark interior thereby creating an uncanny feeling of “presence / absence”, “physical / spiritual” and  “light / darkness”.

The exhibition, which largely comprises works in progress – is characterized by micro stories that are laden with installations. Indeed, they are “ambiguous” and “unambiguous” while posing questions relating to objects and subjects in a performance space.

He hangs a series of mirrors in black wooden frames in varying degrees on walls while glass and metal cases designed like pinhole cameras sit on stools where messages can be read through two little holes or read portions of a book on sale.

Yibor is an artist working across painting, sculpture, installation and spoken word. Using images, text, sounds, and objects, he is interested in exploring the notion of self-examination within three dimensions – “then”, “now” and “after”.

Acclaimed Ghanaian sculptor Kofi Setordji opened the exhibition, which is being supported by the Goethe-Institut. Titled “With.Out / With.In”, it ends on Friday March 29, 2019.

By John Owoo

(In Ouagadougou – Burkina Faso)

“Keteke”, a Ghanaian film directed by Peter Sedufia won the 2^nd Prize for Best Screenplay during a keenly contested competition at the Pan African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO), which ended last Saturday in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The film – which was one of the two productions that opened the festival, featured Adjetey Anang, Lydia Forson, Edwin Acquah and Fred Amugi among others – is an inspiring production that has captured the imagination of viewers through its direction, acting and technical prowess.

Undeniably “Keteke”, which has been equally nominated for diverse awards during screenings in Nigeria, Egypt, Burundi, Morocco, South Africa, London, America, Australia and Scotland is also funny and bursting with colour, appeal and compassion.

Produced by Manaa Abdallah, a lecturer at the National Film and Television Institute in Accra, it features a man and his pregnant wife, who wander on train tracks dotted by lush green forests as they frantically search for a train to convey them to an in-law for a memorable delivery.

They appear to walk “aimlessly” while looking for an elusive train amidst humour, suspense, quarrels, insults, determination, hunger, thirst and practical jokes while vividly expressing fear of the baby arriving before they get to their destination. 

In the long fiction movie category, the Golden Stallion of Yennenga went to “The Mercy of the Jungle” by Rwandan director Joël Karékezi, Silver Stallion of Yennenga was grabbed by “Karma” by Egyptian director Khaled Youssef while the Bronze Stallion of Yennenga went to “Fatwa” by Tunisian director Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud.

Regarding long documentary films, Golden Stallion was won by “The Golden Wolf of Balolé” by Burkinabe director Aïcha Boro, Silver Stallion was taken by “In the Time when the Arabs were Dancing” by Moroccan director Jawad Rhalib while the Bronze Stallion went to “Whispering Truth to Power” by the South African director Shameela Sedat.

Animation films were not left out of the fray – winners include “Briska” by Nadia Rais (Tunisia), “A Kalabanda Eats my Homework” by Raymond Malinga (Uganda) and “Da Tsysy of Tojo” by Niaina Rajaofera (Madagascar). Cameroonian director Jean Pierre Bekolo also won the Sembene Osmane prize from the Ecobank Foundation with his latest film “The Miraculous Weapon”.

Created in 1969, FESPACO offers African film professionals the chance to establish working relationships, exchange ideas and promote their work. It aims at contributing to the expansion and development of African cinema as a means of expression, education and awareness creation.

By John Owoo

(In Ouagadougou – Burkina Faso)

The 12^th edition of Bamako Encounters, an African Photography Biennial is scheduled to take place in the Malian capital Bamako from Saturday November 30, 2019 to Friday January 31, 2020.

A Malian delegation including it’s new General Delegate Lassana Igo Diarra made this known during a meeting with reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing FESPACO film festival in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou.

The Biennial, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary, is organized around thematic exhibitions on contemporary photography and is held in various locations in Bamako including the National Museum of Mali, National Library, Modibo Keita Memorial and the District Museum.

Seminars, workshops, lectures and film screenings equally take place alongside the exhibitions during the biennial, which has served as a catalyst for creativity resulting in many photographers on the continent gaining international acclaim.

Easily the first event dedicated to African Photography, it has become one of the most followed events on the world cultural stage where talents are tapped and works by great masters are admired, discussed and analyzed.

A genuine platform for discoveries, exchanges and visibility, Bamako Encounters is an essential venue for the advancement and promotion of African photographers alongside meetings with professionals from various parts of the world.

Managed by the African House of Photography and co-produced by the Institut Français, Galerie Médina and the Ministry of Culture of Mali, the biennial attracts over 30,000 visitors to exhibitions in Bamako, while 100 to 200 photographers are exhibited and invited to be part of the event during the professional week.

Diarra is the founder and director of Galerie Médina, a contemporary art space in Bamako. In 2018 he published “In the Heart of Bamako”, a rich and imaginative book on contemporary African creativity. With a number of arts initiatives in Bamako under his sleeve, his curatorial work has been internationally recognized.

Institut Français, Royal Air Maroc, African House of Photography, Conservatoire Balla Fasake Kouyate, Palais de la Culture Amadou Hampate Ba, CICB, INA, Mémorial Modibo Keïta, CNPM, Reseau Kya Culturel, Photo Art Mali, ASAMSA, European Union, Stichting Doen, Galerie Médina and others will be supporting the biennial.

Photos – Bamako Encounters

By John Owoo

(In Ouagadougou – Burkina Faso)

Music, dance, antics from horsemen and women alongside high security marked the opening of the 2019 edition of the Pan African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO), which took place at the Municipal Stadium in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou.

Clad in colorful costumes, the groups, which included the National Ballet of Rwanda severally and jointly showcased rich African culture by turning the rectangular shaped stage into a repository of excellence, which will be one of the important words during the one-week festival.

Over 4,500 members of the film fraternity all over the world as well as one hundred thousand locals will participate in the festival, which has programmed over 450 screenings of African films in Cine Burkina, Cine Neerwaya and other locations throughout the city of Ouagadougou.

With over 2,000 security personnel deployed in all venues, hotels, restaurants and other buildings to ensure adequate protection of participants, the festival will witness twenty films from sixteen countries competing for the Golden Stallion of Yennenga, which is named after a 12^th Century Princess, who founded the Mossi Empire.

These include “The Mercy of the Jungle” by Rwandan director Joël Karékezi “Keteke” by Ghanaian director Peter Sedufia, “Rafiki” by Kenyan director Wanuri Kahui, “Desrances” by Burkinabe director Apolline Traore and “Miraculous Weapons” by Cameroonian director Jean- Pierre Bekolo. These films, among others are set to be in a stiff competition for the utmost prize of FESPACO.

Easily the largest film festival in Africa, FESPACO, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary, has contributed in diverse ways to the development of the film industry on the continent while providing a platform for interactions and collaborations among professionals in the sector.

Present at the opening ceremony include Burkinabe president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Minister of Culture Abdoul Karim Sango, President of the African Union Commission Mousaa Fakit Mahamat and President of FESPACO Organizing Committee President Yacouba Traoré among others.

Pictures:

MARCO LONGARI / AFP / Getty Images and ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP / Getty Images

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

“Araminta”, a multi disciplinary production comprising music, dance and theatre – on Friday robustly re-enacted the story of Harriet Tubman – an African American woman who became famous for helping free hundreds of slaves.

In an alluring performance by the National Dance Company, National Symphony Orchestra and the National Dance Company at the National Theatre in Accra, the audience was left spellbound with the tenacity, forbearance and resilience of Tubman, who was born Araminta Ross.

Put together by Stephany Yamoah, Andrea Vony Lee, Mawuli Semevo and Isaac Annor, the audience was treated to a medley of touching negro spirituals, sublime instrumentals, communicative dance movements and delicate acting that unveiled the story of a heroine, who stood up among her peers.

Born in 1820 on one of the slave plantations in the United States, the story of her life as unwrapped by over fifty artists, is one of backbone labour, brutalities, relationships, marriages, alcohol binges (whenever possible), conspiracies and the numerous times Tubman risked her freedom / life to free fellow slaves.

An engaging narrative, the performance took the crowd on a historical journey with a huge emotional appeal. Indeed, the dancers twitch, wriggle and twirl as they exude rather quirky personalities with the harsh conditions suffered on day-to-day basis by slaves becoming apparent.

Full of craft and gracefulness, scenes from “Araminta” are quite dark in its visual design as it blends with its subject matter. Indeed, while at first it is itself a bit bewildering, it becomes increasingly powerful and moving as it absorbs you into the world of Tubman.

Born a slave herself, Tubman fled from Maryland to freedom in Philadelphia (all in the USA) in 1849. For the next ten years, she made repeated secret trips back to Maryland, leading over three hundred escaped slaves northwards to freedom in Canada.

After the Civil War began in 1861 she also served the Union as a scout, spy and nurse. Her success at shepherding others to safety earned her the nickname “the Moses of her people” making her a lasting symbol of the American anti-slavery movement.

By Alfred Tamakloe

(In Copenhagen – Denmark)

“Esinam”, a new EP by Belgian / Ghanaian multi instrumentalist Esinam Dogbatse, carries influences from different worlds – geographically, culturally and musically -alongside a cool blending of traditional / modern instruments and a soulful voice.

Undeniably, the acoustic sounds of the instruments are allowed to evolve and take on new dimensions while opening up a kaleidoscopic spectrum of sound and colour. During the recording of the EP, she joined forces with Jules Fradet from Studio Planet (Damso, Veence Hanao, Afrikan Prötökol).

Producing and playing most of the instruments herself, the EP was mastered by LA based producer Kelly Hibbert aka Almachrome, J. Dilla, Madlib, Little Dragon, Flying Lotus, Ebo Taylor, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Arca.

Lead track “Birds Fly Under This Heavy Sky” is a mesmerizing opener that smolders effortlessly against a backdrop of subtle beats and sensual rhythms with Esinam’s soft vocals and hypnotic flute providing the groove.

On “Do Not Go Into That Black Night”, she is dark and direct. It’s a magnetic take on jazz noire that doesn’t distract from the sultry inflections of her voice while “Gavoé” recalls the spirit of her Ghanaian roots in a ballet of instruments that display a level of personal freedom and sensitivity. Through merging different genres of music, we are warmly welcomed into her musical universe.

She teamed up with Senegalese DJ and producer Ibaaku on the highly charged “Electric Lady”, who provided some distinctive musical hues. A track drenched in afro-futurist colours, sonic samples and collages freely mix with electric and raw sounds, supporting the energetic playing of the flute. The structure of the song remains true to Esinam’s signature sounds – surprising ruptures, poetic atmospheres and constant affirmation of grooves.

Esinam, who is also a composer, plays and performs her own music with flute, percussions, vocals as well as traditional and modern instruments – all alone on stage. She is truly “a one woman band” and is a delight to watch. 

On her live set, she juggles traditional instruments such as the “tama”, “dondo”, “kalimba” and “pandeiro”, which she loops and blends with the sound of her flute and voice. It sometimes triggers dancing, sometimes contemplation from members of her audience.

As a flutist, she plays and has played with an array of bands such as, Marockin Brass, Kel Assouf, Témé Tan and Sysmo. Belgian rapper, Baloji invited her as a guest on his latest record while Melanie De Biasio booked her as a support act for her sold-out shows at Ancienne Belgique in December 2017.

In April 2018, she performed the opening act on the large stage at Botanique (Orangerie) in Brussels, during Les Nuits for Nakhane and Témé Tan. Indeed, Alsarah & The Nubatones, Selah Sue and Moses Sumney are also impressed with her unique musical universe and invited her to start as their support act for their sold-out concerts.