TRADITIONAL
DANCES OF GHANA:
DANCES FROM VOLTA REGION OF GHANA AND PARTS OF THE REPUBLICS
OF TOGO AND BENIN.
 AGBADZA: Is believed to be in the southeastern
Ewe territories of West Africa. Among the Anlo-Ewe. Agbadza
is among the oldest musical types performed by the Southern
Ewe of Ghana, Togo, Benin, and parts of Southwestern Nigeria.
Agbadza is derived from an older war dance known as Atrikpui.
BOBOOBO:
Boboobo is the most popular social music and dance of the
Central and Northern Ewe of Ghana and Togo. This music and
dance, also known as Agbeyeye [New Life], or Akpese [Music
of Joy], emerged from a village, called Kpando in the Volta
Region of Ghana during the independence struggle between 1947
and 1957. Boboobo is derived from an older circular dance
called Konkoma.
GAHU:
Gahu emanated from the musical traditions associated with
marriage and wedding rites of the Yoruba of Nigeria. The Southern
Ewe of Ghana and Togo presently performs the dance on most
social occasions.
DANCES
FROM THE ASHANTI/EASTERN/BRONG AHAFO REGIONS: AKAN DANCES.
ADOWA:
Adowa is by far the most widespread and frequently performed
social dance of the Akan people of Ghana.
FONTOMFROM:
Fontomfrom is one of the most complex musical types of the
Akans of Ghana. It is a series of warrior dances that are
performed in religious, ceremonial and social contexts at
the courts of chiefs.
KETE:
Kete is commonly found in the royal courts of traditional
Akan communities. It is performed in the  courts
of every chief whose status entitles him to be carried in
a palanquin.
ASAADUA:
Asaadua was once a popular recreation musical type among the
Akan people of Ghana.
DANCES
FROM THE NORTHERN, UPPEREAST AND WEST REGIONS
BEWA:
One of the oldest traditional dances of the Dagaare speaking
people of the Upper west Region of Ghana
NMANE:
Wedding music and dance of the Dagbamba women of Northern
Ghana. This music is performed exclusively by women in honor
of a new bride.
 TAKAI:
Takai is a royal dance of the Dagbamba chiefs and princes.
JERA:
Jera was originally a religious music and dance of the Kparibas
in Dagbon, performed before and after hunting expeditions.
DANCES
FROM THE GREATER ACCRA REGION
KPANLONGO:
Kpanlongo is the most recent of all Ga recreational musical
types, an offshoot of Gome, Oge, Kolomashie, and Konkoma.
Referred to as "the dance of the youth
DANCES
FROM THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGION
KUNDUM:
Kundum music and dance, which is performed as part of the
annual Kundum festival of the Ahanta and Nzema people of Ghana
APATAMPA:
The Fantse women of the Central region perform this music
and dance.
 DODOLEGLIME:
The Chiefs and people of Ve in the Hohoe District of the Volta
Region celebrate the "Dodoleglime" festival in November.
Dodoleglime, which in Ewe literally means coming out of the
wall, marks the escape of the people from the tyrannical rule
of Togbe Agorkoli of Notsie in the 17th century. The celebration
is also in commemoration of the leading role played by the
people in the secret escape through a hole they dug in the
wall that was built to contain the subjects of Togbe Agorkoli.
GA HOMOWO
FESTIVAL: This harvest festival is celebrated by
the Ga people from the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. It begins
with the  sowing of millet by the traditional priests in May.After
this, thirty-day ban on drumming is imposed on the land by
the priests. The festival is highlighted at varying times
by different quarters of the Ga tribe.
The Ga-Mashie group of the tribe will celebrate theirs' a little earlier
than the La group. Homowo recounts the migration of the Gas
and reveals their agricultural success in their new settlement.
According to Ga oral tradition, a severe famine broke out
among the people during their migration to present day Accra.
They were inspired
by the famine to embark on massive food production exercises
which eventually yielded them bumper harvest. Their hunger
ended and with great joy they "hooted at hunger"
this is the meaning of the word HOMOWO. |
