FOLKLIFE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM-GHANAIAN ROYAL ARTS AND FOLK EXPRESSIONS

Elmina is a fishing town in the Central region of Ghana. The town was named by the then Portuguese explorers and business people from Europe who discovered the community to be full of natural resources in gold and called it LA MINA.  The name was later corrupted to EL MINA and it has remained to this day. The local name for the same town is EDINA. BAKATUE is the name of the community's vibrant historic festival that symbolizes the opening of the new fishing season for the community.  The festival that is one of the most important ones in Ghana attracts visitors both home and abroad.  It is celebrated on the 1st July of every year. ELMINA BAKATUE FESTIVAL- AN ARTIST IMPRESSION A TEACHER'S IMPRESSIONS  A DOCUMENTARY ON THE BAKATUE FESTIVAL IN ENGLISH A COMMUNITY IMPRESSION IN LOCAL LANGUAGE ANOTHER COMMUNITY IMPRESSION IN LOCAL LANGUAGE ANOTHER COMMUNITY IMPRESSIONS OF THE FESTIVAL IN LOCAL LANGUAGE

One of the important drumming styles in Ghana is the speech mode of drumming also known as the talking drumming or the Talking Drums. In Ghana the premier talking drum is called ATUMPAN. The Atumpan are two twin drums that represent one high tone and the other low tone. They represent the male elder in low tone and the female elder in high tone to signify how our ancestors have been the source of our wisdom today.  ATUMPAN AS A SPEECH DRUM- TALKING DRUMS In playing the Atumpan the master drummer known as "Okyerema"imitates the human speech in Akan proverbs,parables, lore, values and poetry to play appellations and praises to God, the Ancestors, the King, Important Elders and the community as well as dignitaries during ceremonial events. ATUMPAN AS PART OF ADOWA ENSEMBLE The Atumpan as part of the Adowa Ensemble is the master drum that communicates and accentuates the gestures and movements of the dancer or dancers on the floor. He gives cues to the bells t

Asafo  are traditional warrior groups in Akan  culture. The word derives from  sa , meaning war , and  fo , meaning people . The traditional role of the asafo companies was defence of the King and the state. As the result of contact with European colonial powers  on the Gold Coast  (present-day Ghana), the Fante , who inhabit the coastal region, developed an especially complex version of the concept in terms of its social and political organization based on martial principles, and with elaborate traditions of visual art,  including flag banners with figurative scenes. For the purpose of this lesson, we will focus on the Fante Asafo companies based at Cape Coast and other communities in the Central region.  Each asafo company has designated uniform colors that have been historically established identifies these in Cape Coast as: No. 1.  Bentsir  – red No. 2.  Anafo  – blue and white No. 3.  Ntsin  – green No. 4.  Nkum  – yellow No. 5.  Amanful  – wine and black No. 6.  Abrofomb

Dance is an important aspect of the culture of the Ghanaian (African). Dance embodies and articulates the philosophies of the culture, the origin, and serves as a unique symbol of identity. Our increasing interaction with various world cultures has undermined certain aspects of our dance heritage. We incorporate ideas which threaten our indigenous philosophies and symbols of our identities to the detriment of our uniqueness as Ghanaians or Africans. Kete  royal court dance-drumming originates from the Akan people of Ghana, West Africa. The term  Kete  simultaneously refers to a specific set of instruments, the music played by those instruments, and the dance performed to that music. Originally existing exclusively within Asante royal court system,  Kete  is now heard at funerals and weddings, as well as royal palace events.  Kete  constitutes one part of the broader Asante dance-drumming repertoire – including  Adowa, Akɔm, Apirede, Fɛntɛmfrɛm, Mpintin, Nnwonkoro, Sikyi,  and othe

Today's lesson is on Adowa, a Royal Ceremonial Music and Dance of the Asante Akans.                     ADOWA MUSIC AND DANCE @ MANHYIA PALACE-KUMASI ADWOA YEBOAH AHAFO ADOWA LITTLE GIRL DANCES @ ASANTEHEMAA'S FUNERAL ADOWA DANCE DEMONSTRATION

FONTONFROM MUSIC AND DANCE MANHYIA FONTONFROM AND KETE @ KWAMANG MANHYIA FONTONFROM DURING A RITUAL CATHOLIC BISHOP DANCES TO FONTONFROM @ A FUNERAL

Welcome to Today's Lesson. Ghana's vast resources in ancient folk musical instruments are formally classified into 4 groups by Africa's authority author on African Music, Professor Kwabena Nketsea. Folk Instruments are classified into Idiophones, Chordophones, Aerophones, and Membranophones.   According to Professor Nketsea of the African Studies Institute of the University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, almost all varieties of available traditional musical instruments in Ghana fall into one of these 4 categories of groups. 1. IDIOPHONES Idiophones are instruments that produce sounds by vibrating on its own or by using a stick or an iron to strike it.  Popular Royal Ceremonial Idiophones are the Dawurokese ( The Big Bell), Dawuro ( African Bell) and Many more: Impressions: DIFFERENT SIZES OF DAWURO NTA ( TWIN BELLS) 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF BELLS MFIRIKYIRWA KWADU  BOMAA DAWURO OR DAWURO KESE ( BIG DAWURO) HOW THE BIG DAWURO IS PLAY

One of the interesting observations we should be making in most of the previous lessons and the videos are the use of special Umbrellas called AHENFO KYINIE.    Used by almost all Akan or Southern Ghana Chiefs as well as some parts of Ghana, the Ceremonial Umbrella is a symbol of true Cultural Heritage, Pride, Communication, Authority, Grace, Peace, Unity, Power, Intelligence, Humility and many others. The use of Ceremonial Umbrellas is the exclusive of the Royal courts/palace, and honorary community chiefs.  Private individuals CANNOT own Ceremonial Umbrellas but Professional Cultural Troupes CAN with permission from community Chief make prototype for use during cultural performances. This lesson is very important because of the Africussion Percussion Discussion group, an independent performing arts group at The Smith Center.  The group  is one of the leading School Assembly Performing companies for Southern Nevada's Area Schools and is

Today's lesson is on "ODWIRA FESTIVAL" impressions of the people of Akuapem and other communities of Eastern Ghana. The word "ODWIRA" in Akan Akuapem language means to Cleanse or Purification.   Therefore the festival is a period of purification and cleansing.  The festival celebrates the ancient historic victory over the powerful Ashanti Kingdom in 1826 during the Ghana's ( then Gold Coast) time of inter-tribal warfare for expansion, land and natural resources. ODWIRA @ SUHUM POURING OF LIBATION AND AFRICAN HOLY PRAYERS AFRICAN ANCIENT HOLY PRAYERS THE DURBAR WHERE CHIEFS AND ELDERS SIT IN STATE NOTE THE CEREMONIAL WHITE STOOLS ONE OF THE SPECIAL CEREMONIAL ACTS IS THE ART OF GREETINGS EXCHANGED BY THE CHIEFS AND ELDERS NOTE THE RICH GOLD ORNAMENTS A GROUP OF QUEENMOTHERS WITH COLORFUL COSTUMES NOTE THE DIFFERENT COLORS AND DESIGNS OF UMBRELLAS THE CHIEF SURROUNDED BY THE HORN BRASS PLAYER, TH