By John Owoo
(In Accra – Ghana)
A multi-disciplinary production that effectively blended elements of traditional music from Ghana and Vietnam – that proved the power of cross-cultural collaborations – recently charmed an enthusiastic audience at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.
Directed by the Vietnamese electro-acoustic musician / composer Luong Hue Trinh, the piece, which highlighted the plight of oppressed people, also embraced the use of traditional / contemporary dance, poetry, spoken word, theatre and new music.
Titled “The Vivid Silences”, the performance, which was set in different parts of the Institut, made use of a variety of sounds – from street hawkers, mini bus / taxi stations and streets that fed into reflective tunes from the Atenteben dynamo Dela Botri and the xylophone / mbira maestro Aaron Bebe Sakura.
Dances from Shelly Ohene-Nyako, Keziah Appreku and Oteanankanduro were deeply distinctive, inventive, angular and spasmodic as their agile bodies transmitted messages on oppression, suffering and discrimination alongside their innate thoughts and prejudices.
Interspersed by energizing solos, the dancing was quite direct, controlled and compelling – one can easily sense deeply thought-through references that highlighted the difficulties and challenges facing millions of people around the globe.
Multi-talented artist, Oteanankanduro ambled up from the library and majestically moved his way through the audience with a voice that progressed from high to low and low to high pitches as he rendered a poem that kept the crowd at the edge of their seats.
With Joyce Markyere on traditional drums and Vivian Lotsu on bells, “The Vivid Silences”, is an intricate production that showcased rich music, agile bodies, inventive movements, infectious rhythms and effervescent energy that made the evening a memorable one.
Educated at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, Luong has focused on electro-acoustic music and is interested in exploring traditional and experimental elements in music, visuals and scenography while creating artworks for specific sites. Her works have been presented in Asia, Europe, North America, Australia and a number of countries in Africa.
Goethe-Institut Ghana produced and sponsored the production in collaboration with the Alliance Française in Accra.
