Cool but persistent winds blow as my friend, who has a wealth of knowledge of Africa, eases the small Toyota car out of a driveway in the Dutch town of Tilburg.

As we hit the highway, vast rows of unending farmlands and artificial forests literally follow each other – I wonder when Ghana would have such a capacity in Agriculture to feed its millions and the ability to replace its lost foliage.

We move east towards the city of health, business and knowledge -Nijmegen. I am anxious of what to expect as we get close to our destination – the Afrika Museum, located in between the famous seven hills of Berg en Dal.

At the entrance, a giant poster attracts my attention, as I get close I notice a photograph of a traditional Kusasi building. Anxiety quickly turns to curiosity – as my long fascination with Kusasi architecture is rekindled.

I make a decision to move to the Ghanaian village section of the outdoor museum where I encounter a Kusasi house constructed through a hands-on collaboration between its kinsmen and Dutch architects.

Largely found in the savannah highlands of Northern Ghana, Kusasi architecture is a tranquil collection of conical and quadrangular huts with open courtyards and straw roofs joined together in a loop with rooms for diverse purposes.

It is complete with metal/clay pots, grinding stones, mortars, pestles, furniture, firewood, clothes, shovels, pick axes, hoes, colorfully decorated metal basins and other household items.

Although familiar with Kusasi houses, I must confess it is the first time I have the opportunity to take a detailed look – I take a calculated walk from room to room while observing its intricately positioned windows, doors and thatched roof.

Apart from the weather (21 degrees), I am encircled by an unruffled feeling of being in Northern Ghana – as I wonder why there is no museum of architecture in Ghana – a question that I guess will still be relevant throughout my life.

It is a challenge to the Ghana Institute of Architects and other related bodies to help create models of Ghanaian traditional, colonial and postcolonial architecture, which are fast disappearing owing to regular demolitions for “modern” buildings.

Suddenly, I hear sweet rhythms from a kora player – as I move in the direction of the sound, yet another interesting site confronts me – an African chop bar and a Malian kora master Zoumana Diarra, who gracefully honoured me with a few highlife tunes from a box guitar. Sadly, I did not find tuo zafi, fufu and pito.

Founded in 1954, the museum also boasts of models of architecture from Lesotho, Benin, Cameroon and the Dogon of Mali nestled in between vegetables gardens, wells, colourful wooden kiosks, traditional silos and playgrounds.

The indoor museum is without doubt one of the few with a specific focus of collecting and showing modern art from Africa. It features semi permanent exhibitions, which themes such as religion and society.

As I leave the Museum, I take a final glance at the Kusasi house not sure whether my feelings are of jealousy, elation or both – my only consolation, however is a dream – perhaps a fantasy to see some transformation at the vast grounds of the National Museum in Accra.

By John Owoo in Nijmegen – Holland
Pictures by Karla Hoffman

Fusion of diverse musical cultures is not new but it can be quite dramatic, vivid and intense – especially when an adventurous group of artistes from several countries decide to let off their creative impulses.

Apart from its ability to captivate and surprise, cross-cultural collaborations reveal the beauty, variety and diversity of creative works by people with varied backgrounds.

I feel a subtle sense of anxiety from the audience as members of African Footprint International (AFI) move onto the stage at Godsbanen, a theatre located in downtown Aarhus, the second city of Denmark.

The apprehension from the audience is comprehensible – as musicians, dancers and acrobats in colourful costumes from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Australia and Denmark proceed in unison – amidst pounding beats from giant fontonfrom drums.

“I am not sure of what to expect but I guess it will be memorable – the hand crafted drums are obviously artworks in themselves. The kora will definitely support the playing of cross rhythms”, says Dorthe Nielsen, a violinist in Aarhus.

Refreshing rhythms from the Kora tenderly fills the air while atumpan, kpanlogo, balafon, guitars, kidi, kete, djembe, bells and rattles join in harmony as vocals from two Danish singers cut through the air with immense passion.

Traditional / vertical dancers, aerial performers on hanging fabrics alongside Kenyan acrobats set the theatre ablaze with a spectacular performance. They suspend, fall, swing and twist their bodies in various deft maneuvers amidst cheers from the capacity audience.

Ovations flow as acclaimed Danish trombonists, guitarists and drummers join the group. Comprising Karsten Aaholm, Keld Hosbond, Mogens Thorborg, Frank Bastrup Olsen, Nicolaj Pedersen and Rasmus Kristiansen, they simply electrify the theatre with their instrumental expertise.

“Absolutely fanciful to see four experienced trombonists on stage – and interestingly, they are performing with African artistes. I was overwhelmed by the calmness of trombones, therapeutic power of the kora and the softness of drum beats”, adds Jens Enggaard, an architect from the capital Copenhagen.

“A fantastic show that has a wide variety of fast moving scenes to satisfy everybody – I never lost concentration for a moment – I will surely like to see it again, concludes Kirsten Kester, a lecturer / consultant in Aarhus.

Put together by multi instrumentalist Samuel Kweku Addison with support from UK based guitar dynamo Kwame Yeboah, the show is a piece of artwork that creates room for distinct artistes and a huge allowance for improvisations and experiments.

The Danish tour by AFI is being made possible by the kind courtesy of Godsbanen, Royal Academy of Music (Aarhus), Addison’s Mighty Works Aps, Keld Hosbond, Klejtrup Musikefterskole, Den Rytmiske Højeskole, Shanghai Akademi, Sydjurs Musikskole, Brandbjerg Højskole and www.artsghana.org.

 Pictures by Jacob Crawfurd

The power, beauty and complexity of traditional musical resources from Northern Ghana overwhelm the Youth Home Centre in Tamale as four youthful bands perform to wild cheers.

A cool evening breeze, which constantly sway the leaves of trees that surround the venue, equally seem to carry rhythms from the festival grounds to the leafy environs of the Youth Home Centre.

Youth Home Band eventually win the competition, which is characterized by a bold attempt to effectively fuse diverse Northern rhythms with highlife, jazz, funk, soul, reggae and afro beat among others to create a new synthesis.

Clad in colourful costumes, the groups exhibit showmanship as they struggle to impress the judges, which comprise Selorm Agra (music tutor, Bagabaga Training College), Fuzzy Kombatt (former director of CNC Tamale), Delali Alormenu and (former MUSIGA NR chairman) among others.

Bizung, North Wings and Bright Stars bands took the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th positions in the competition, which encourage the extension of local rhythms to their contemporary levels.

Polyrhythmic patterns coupled with ancient praise singing traditions from Northern Ghana surprise the judges who commend the groups for their efforts while admonishing them to continue training and rehearsals.

Despite the apparent lack of harmony and effective blending of local /western instruments, which characterized performances by all groups, the attempt to harness and make use of Northern Ghanaian rhythms in a contemporary vein appears to be in full swing.

A pursuit when fully achieved is likely to result in a subtle musical approach that stand at the interface of tradition and modernity thereby sowing the seeds for full-blown innovative musical creations from the North.

Goethe-Institut Ghana supported the festival, which was organized by the Institute for Music and Development in partnership with Arterial Network Ghana.