Ghana Dance Ensemble under the auspices of the National Dance Company teamed up with the Woshishije Cultural Group over the weekend to deliver a successful dance performance at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
The 3-day concert began on 18 – 20 September 2021 at the National Theatre.
The event dubbed “Rhythms from the Land” thrilled over 700 attendees which included foreign diplomats, students and researchers from over 21 countries.
The collaborative performance featured a wide range of music and dance forms unique to the various ethnic groups in the country. Quintessential of the numerous performances were Ahengoro, which means “music of loyalty”. Ahengoro is an expression of loyalty to local dignitaries or chiefs at ceremonial events, particularly among the Akans in the Southern part of Ghana. Atsea on the other hand is a dance that brings youth together at social events for celebrations in Ghana; while Jira performance is a dance characteristic of Islamic hunters from Ghana’s Northern Region.
Woshishije Cultural Group noted for their top-quality professional work and artistic performances serenaded the audience with an original modern African dance such as Soleokor – a dance with acrobatic movements redolent of the spirit of Africa drawing enthusiastic and extended applause.
Speaking to the media after the performance, the leader of the Woshishije Cultural Group Madam Koufie said “for me, I think we are gradually losing our rich cultural heritage, especially with the Western infiltration into our culture. The government has the step-up efforts in preserving our music and dance cultural heritage so that it can be sustained for many generations to come”.
She further enumerated the need for the stakeholders to support the efforts in sustaining our music and dance heritage as it has the capacity to boost tourism and create employment and revenue for the state.
