#KnowGhana: Kpanlogo, Agbadza, Adowa—African dances that will interest you

Dance is a bringer of joy. It is a sibling to music. It is a health therapy to the body. It is an expression of happiness. It is also a cultural identity of a people, tribe or an ethnic group. Africa is a continent of many cultural identities because of its mightily diverse ethnic strength varied to the nations therein.

May has been a month of culture in Ghana where so much has been showcased and spotlighted under the #knowGhana initiative…and this is credited to the Ghana Tourism Authority who has disclosed so much about the country formerly known as the Gold Coast, through its Instagram page.

In this last week of its cultural celebrations, Ghana Tourism Authority brings to light, its own traditional music and dances namely: Kpanlogo dance (which is related with the Ga ethnic group of the Greater Accra region), Agbadza dance which is related with with the southern part of Ghana and the Adowa dance, related with the Akans in the middle and also the southern part of Ghana.

Through two different posts on its Instagram page, the Ghana Tourism Authority shared some juicy bit of information (that are great tourism reads) on these dances and their music.

Explore them below…

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This week being the last week in the month of culture, we bring you our own Ghanaian traditional music and dance. Each ethnic group in Ghana has its own traditional dance for specific occasions. They could be for funerals, celebrations, storytelling, praise and worship. Across all 16 regions of Ghana are various dances performed mostly during festivals and other occasions such as naming, marriage and funerals ceremonies to entertain and educate an audience. Today we explore the Kpanlogo dance. It is associated with the Ga ethnic group but now performed and enjoyed throughout the country. It began in the early 1960s as an innovative dance form, influenced by the youth and ancient style of drumming and giving the younger Ga generations a point of distinction from their elders. The Kpanlogo dance is often performed low to the ground, with bent knees and bent back, and frequently features sexually suggestive motions. The music accompanying the dance is drawn from older Ga drumming traditions, such as Gome, Oge and Kolomashie. All in all, Kponlogo dance is a really fun dance that belongs to the youth. It’s about having a good time and it is now seen all over social media. No wonder some people say the meaning of Kpanlogo is enjoyment. Enjoy some great Kpanlogo videos here: https://youtu.be/1zb69xgp5Ho https://youtu.be/pMsTB9KzFxA https://youtu.be/T5LR-aiV8H8 . . . #CultureMonth #StaySafeKnowGhana #MyCultureMyPride #WearGhana #StaySafe #Covid19 #coronavirus #tuesday #tuesdaymotivation #tuesdaythoughts #tuesdayvibes @motacghana

A post shared by Ghana Tourism Authority (@ghanatourismauthority) on May 26, 2020 at 10:19am PDT

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We gave you the famous fun dance by the Ga’s. Today we take you to the south eastern part of Ghana where we bring you the famous war dance which is now a recreational dance. Agbadza as it is called finds its origin from the times of war. The Ewe people went through various wars and oppression before settling down in the Volta Region of Ghana and in Southern Togo. In order to train their warriors to be ready for battle, the Ewes used various songs and dances to encourage the warriors. Through this, a dance called Atrikpui was born. This dance later evolved to Agbadza, which is no longer used for war but rather at events that are more joyful. It is performed during the Hogbetsotso Festival, a celebration by the Anlo Ewe people. In addition, it is also performed by Togolese and Beninoise of Ewe descent. It is also Performed by men and women accompanied by drums, rattles and gong-gong. Agbadza has two main movements: A slow step where the arms move back and forth while extended downwards, and a fast step where the arms flap at the side with elbows extended. Everyone is welcome to join in the dance, unlike other Ewe dances, which sometimes are reserved for people of a certain age, religion, or gender. The dance is sometimes known as the “chicken dance” due to the bird-like motions required for the dance and due to its versatile nature, it is performed by musicians both gospel and circular spheres in their music videos. Currently, you will find lots of people dancing Agbadza to any kind of music and that shows how it has come to be cherished and accepted by Ghanaians. . . Photos: Ghana Dance Ensemble (National Theatre) #CultureMonth #StaySafeKnowGhana #MyCultureMyPride #WearGhana #StaySafe #Covid19 #coronavirus #thursday #throwbackthursday #thursdaymotivation #thursdaythoughts

A post shared by Ghana Tourism Authority (@ghanatourismauthority) on May 28, 2020 at 6:17am PDT

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From time immemorial, dance has been used as a way of expressing people’s history, achievements, tragedy, happiness, sorrows, sarcasm, power and cultural display. Today we bring you the Adowa dance which is arguably the most popular traditional dance which was formerly performed at funerals but now a recreational dance. Adowa dance is associated with the Akans in middle and southern Ghana. It is believed that, once upon a time, the queen mother of the “Ashanti” tribe in southern Ghana called “Abrewa Tuta” was extremely sick and to cure the queen mother it was recommended that an antelope should be sacrificed. In response to the recommendation, a few warlords set out to capture and kill the animal. Unfortunately, the animal easily evaded the warlords by using quick feet movements. It was this quick footwork used by the animal that shocked the warlords, who then imitated it, and thereby help create this dance form. The inventors of the dance mimicked how antelopes celebrated their dead ones. It is believed that when an antelope dies, the remaining ones go round it to mourn it and that explains why Adowa performers usually go round when performing the dance. Adowa was originally a funeral dance; it had now become a social dance receiving overwhelming patronage at all kinds of social gatherings. It is performed at cultural ceremonies like festivals, funerals, engagements, and celebrations. The Adowa dance is a sign of expression that allows performers to communicate their emotions and feelings through their hands and feet. There are different hand movements performed for each setting, people will communicate positive emotions at weddings or engagements and negative emotions at funerals. Among all the traditional dances in the country, the one which is commonly performed at national events, particularly in the southern part of the country, is “Adowa”. Join us later to watch some steps. . . #CultureMonth #StaySafeKnowGhana #MyCultureMyPride #WearGhana. #StaySafe #Covid19 #coronavirus #Okyeame #Liguist #TGIF #FunkyFriday #friday #fridayvibes @motacghana @okyeamekwame

A post shared by Ghana Tourism Authority (@ghanatourismauthority) on May 29, 2020 at 10:14am PDT