By John Owoo

(In Tunis – Tunisia)

“Sidewalk Stories”, a piece by six American choreographers / dancers on Sunday charmed an enthusiastic crowd through a continuous stream of movements at the Habib Bourguiba Avenue in downtown Tunis.   

Performed by the E Company as part of the 2023 edition of Carthage International Dance Festival, over twenty dancers from Tunisia and the United States turned the stage into a dance groove with a level of connectedness that pervaded the entire piece.

Choreographed by A.J. Guevara, Robert J. Priore, JaMyra LaSalle, Jade Stewart, Philip Baraoiden and Paul Gordon Emerson – abstract and expressive movements enabled the dancers to explicitly reveal the power and beauty of cross-cultural collaborations – as they blended various dance traditions while creating a new synthesis in the process.

Indeed, arms were constantly flaying while pointing in different directions as others held aloft dancers who jumped into their arms – and gently placing them back as the crowd cheered and applauded the dancers – whose bodies have been well crafted by the act they have so gracefully mastered. 

Recorded music blurring from loud speakers and their steps folded into one another as tender movements of torsos moved in unison while making their way out of the stage and returning soon after with fresh moves and acrobatics. 

Indeed, the music starts with a smooth swaying rhythmic feel and steadily deepens as the dance progresses. The movements of the dancers matched the music even as it became sharp and direct in certain aspects of the dance.

Students and some instructors from the Ridha Rzig’s Hip Hop and Circus School in Tunis mounted a short production at the serene Bab & Cité El Khadra district, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea that confounded patrons.

Overshadowed by a unique Tunisian context, the performers (aged between 9 and 14) were rotated in and out of stage alongside recorded music – it was a sight to behold as one can feel the joy in a performer once he or she takes the spotlight.  

Carthage International Dance Festival, which is being held in various venues in Tunis is under the directorship of Selim Ben Safia. It ends on Saturday June 17,2023.

Pictures – Courtesy of Carthage International Dance Festival

By John Owoo

(In Tunis – Tunisia)

The 2023 edition of Carthage International Dance Festival (JCOC) opened last Saturday with a brilliant performance of “Archipel”, a piece choreographed by the acclaimed French director, Mathilde Monnier at the Théâtre des Régions Cité De La Culture in the Tunisian capital, Tunis. 

A prolific collaboration by the Ballet de l’Opera de Tunis and the Choreographique du Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Dance de Paris, the production encompassed dancers and other professionals with varying degrees of expertise and experience.

The piece equally brought some important points on multiculturalism and social-cohesion with its twenty-four dancers who criss-crossed the dance floor with diverse movements and sequences that moved into each other with relative ease. 

With gently paced movements, the dancers called on the audience to embrace and immerse themselves in unacquainted sceneries and revel in the joy of discovering new territories while making the best out of the situation.

Accompanied by diverse music interspersed with episodes of silence – they moved as if they have been programmed as they passed by each other with very little upper body movement and without “noticing” each other – thereby keeping the audience un suspense as to what comes next. 

Earlier, a musical trio comprising Kel Assouf (Niger), Imed Alibi and Michel Marre (Tunisia) alongside the Burkinabe dancer / choreographer Salia Sanou entertained the audience with tunes composed for the occasion that were dedicated to Africa. 

Director of JCOC, Sélim Ben Safia underlined the importance of the festival stressing that the various performances and round table discussions were designed to ensure the growth and development of the act of dance while enhancing collaboration among institutions and countries. 

The Minister of Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hayet Germessi Getat, who opened the festival said JCOC represents a special place among international cultural events organized and hosted by Tunisia as it promotes choreographic works while attracting new audiences. 

She added that employing the human body as a medium of artistic creation while showcasing expressive and visually stunning movements is a highly commendable feat adding that the Ministry will continue to support the festival. 

Partners of the festival include Théatre de l’Opera, Institut National du Patrimoine, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Dance de Paris, Archipel, Prohelvitia, Djerba, Institut Français, Institut Fraçais Tunisie, ODV and No’o Cultures.  

Pictures – Courtesy of JCOC

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Over sixty large-scale paintings by the Ghanaian multidisciplinary artist / academic Dr. Sela Adjei, which largely draw from Frantz Fanon’s theory of catharsis and the aesthetics of violence, are currently on display at the Museum of Science and Technology in Accra.  

Partially inspired by a collection of poems by Dr. Mawuli Adzei, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana (Legon), works on show have been visually reconfigured onto large canvases, which hold modular chromatic palettes that tell highly uncomfortable stories.

Employing distorted human figures in reds and greens, the exhibition focuses on the confluence of state violence and the modes of resistance that accompanies it. Undeniably, a critical observation of his work reveals deep spiritual undertones. 

Curated by Nii Dodoo Darku, “Zadokeli” (eclipse of the sun in English) casts references to a number of solar and lunar eclipses that occurred in 2020, which in Ewe esoteric norms connotes misfortunes. Consequently, Adjei visually expands the discussion of analogizing the predicament blacks through a recurring image of a gloomy eclipse. 

Adjei’s role here as an artist who draws links between the 2020 eclipses and the rise in anti-black violence and injustice, positions him among the far-seeing priests and diviners who seek answers in an effort to “restore” cosmic and social order through propitiation rites. 

The exhibition is being complemented by poems from Elikplim Akorli, which will form a virtual component of the display in order to reach a global audience. As a collaborating artist, Akorli also thrilled patrons at the opening reception with a spoken word performance.

Undeniably, Adjei’s background in multimedia and African Art History allows him to engage in a complex multidisciplinary practice ranging from photography, design, film, digital illustration, painting and sculpture. 

He is noted for confronting socio-political phenomena such as the #EndSARS movement and the killing of George Floyd by a policeman in the United States. Indeed, his paintings reveal themselves as a creative outlet that recreates racial memories and haunting images of his iconic black and white biomorphic optical illusions. 

Also a researcher and curator with degrees in Communication Design and African Art and Culture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi) and a PhD in African Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon. 

He is a member of the African Studies Association, ACASA, AI4Afrika and the International Society for Folk Narrative Research. Adjei has participated in over twenty exhibitions and curated high-profile exhibitions and art festivals. He has also worked as a curator / art consultant with reputable Art Galleries, Museums, Publishers, Research Institutes and Universities.

The exhibition ends on Sunday June 25, 2023.

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.