COMPILED NOTES ON EBS 377

AESTHETIC EVALUATION

BY: MUSIC DEPARTMENT

AKROKERRI COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

1
 UNIT 1

THE PERFORMING ARTS: ASPECTS AND CATEGORIES 1- MUSIC

Performing Arts Categories: Indigenous/Popular/Art

We are surrounded by music. We are welcomed to the world with music through naming or
outdooring ceremonies and as we depart from this world we are accompanied by music through
funeral ceremonies. Some of the activities we engage in are done to music. We perform music as
we work. You might have heard a piece of music performed on radio, television, or on your
mobile phone handset. Almost all our ring tones are pieces of music. The music you have heard
might have been performed by you. Funerals are ceremonies that are celebrated in memory of the
departed as well as reaffirm our solidarity and social consciousness. Because of this the funerals
are events for the display of the performing arts. At funerals we hear music performed by music
bands, dirges are performed by mourners, and we see people dancing to the music that is played.
The whole funeral ceremony is a piece of dramatic ritual. The offering of libation (in some
instances a sheep or two are slaughtered as part of the rites) and prayer that is said, burial rites
and all the activities of both mourners and sympathizers are part of the funeral drama. Among
the Akans the drama is heightened by good orators who announce the presence of dignitaries and
donations offered by sympathizers. Our religious services are performed and music, dance and
drama play huge roles in these events.

1. Traditional/Indigenous/Neo-traditional
Traditional music may be explained as the type of music that is based on and heavily
influenced by indigenous music practices. Most of the music in this category is closely linked to
our traditional social and political institutions: chieftaincy, religion, rites of passage (naming or
outdooring, circumcision, puberty, marriage, childbirth, death), festivals and so on. In your
notebook list examples of the types of music that fall into this category. Some of the music
genres that can be placed in this category are Bomaa, akpi, adeʋu, asafo, abↄfoↄ, ↄmpε,
apatampa, adzewa, kundum, adabatram, atsiagbεkↄ, gahu, kinka, akaye, dipo, bragorↄ, kpatsa,
agbadza, bamaya, takai, nagla, bewa, tuk, damba, adowa, fↄntↄmfrↄm, mpintin, kete, gome and
nnwonkorↄ. Add those found in your locality if they are absent from this list.
There is social differentiation in ownership or patronage of some of the music genres.
This means they are meant for some people who occupy certain social positions. There is music
for the royalty. For example, among the Akans kete, mpintin, and fↄntↄmfrↄm belong to chiefs
and are played on events during which the chief or his representative is present. There is also
music for vocational groups. Among the Akans hunters have abↄfoↄ (this is called adeʋu among
the Ewes). There are gender based music bands, that is, there are exclusive female bands as well
as male bands. Asafo, apirede, abↄfoↄ, adeʋu, akpi, adabatram, bagyiene, fↄntↄmfrↄm and zieh,
for example, are supposed to be exclusively male bands. On the other hand, apatampa, adzewa,
akaye, dipo, bragorↄ, adowa, otofo, tora, nuru, kaare and nnwonkorↄ are considered to be
primarily female groups.

2
 Apart from these two types of grouping there are numerous mixed ensembles made up of
both females and males. Such groups perform musical types like adowa, agbadza, gahu, bewaa,
sikyi, atsiagbεkↄ, kpatsa and gome.
Music associations may also be based on age. There is music for children, the youth as
well as the aged. The music for the youth tends to be gay and more vigorous in nature and faster
in tempo with most of the songs based on love themes. The lyrics tend to be more frivolous in
nature. Music for the aged tends to be more relaxed in structure and tempo with the lyrics based
on serious themes like life, death and the afterlife. Songs for children are for fun, education and
entertainment. Do you remember any of the songs you performed in your childhood days? What
were the lyrics about? They were mostly based on animals, food and moral education. Religious
associations may also have their own music. For example, members of the Yeʋe cult have their
own music the performance of which is restricted to only cult members.

2. Popular/Syncretic
Popular music refers to any genre of music that appeal to a wide audience or subculture. Ghana’s
modern popular music could be traced to the early 20th century, when colonial authorities
established control over the local population. Regimental marching bands apparently led to an
interest in the fusion of both European and indigenous music practices. Ghanaian military
musicians began playing their indigenous music on military band instruments, which eventually
gave birth to what was known as adaha (It is considered the earliest form of highlife music
performed in Ghana. It was created by the blend of syncopated march music fused with
Caribbean and local Ghanaian music). One version of adaha was konkoma (a poor-man’s version
of the adaha), which consisted of voices used as instruments to replace the brass/regimental
instruments found in adaha. Inland dwellers of Ghana embraced the kokoma style of music since
the brass instruments were costly. This processional style was often accompanied with short
drums and bells. For instance, konkoma could be found in the form of jama and zibo amongst the
Ga and Ewe communities respectively. Today, there are hardly any commercial recordings of
these styles.
Another style that evolved in the pre-independence era was palm wine guitar music. Found
throughout the West African coast in various forms, Ghana’s version of palm wine guitar is
based on the Kru sailors’ unique style of finger picking the guitar. It is characterized by several
rhythmic fingerpicking styles steeped in the indigenous cultures, normally with two guitars, a
wooden box or indigenous drums, claves and a sung poetic verse usually narrating the
vicissitudes of life. The very first commercial recording of this genre was by Kwame Asare and
his Kumasi trio in 1928. Today this tradition is still being kept alive by Koo Nimo and his
Adadam Agofomma group.
Next was the big band highlife craze, spearheaded by E.T. Mensah and his Tempos Band from
the 1940s. This band kept the ballrooms of Ghana alive with their disciplined but hugely
entertaining performances. E.T. Mensah is widely regarded as the pioneer of big band highlife
music. The Tempos Band was at the forefront of ballroom music, usually preserved for the elites

3
in society. Set up in a large symphonic-like orchestra, bands fused local tunes with foreign
musical ideas and instruments. The large orchestras would later evolve into smaller swing bands
modeled on their American contemporaries. Bands like the Tempos, Ramblers International and
Black Beats served audiences complex horn arrangements and improvisations with short lyrical
sections. Today, few bands still perform this style of music, now classified as 'evergreen
highlife', such as the Ramblers International, Evergreen Band and the Esuapon band of the
Department of Music and Dance, University of Cape Coast.
Also following the big band craze were the larger guitar bands, which derived from the
unplugged palmwine bands but instead went electric while keeping the key musical
characteristics. These bands included African Brothers, City Boys, Apollo Hi-kings and
Kumapim Royals, among others.

‘Afro’ music of the 1970s

Following Ghana’s independence in 1957, new popular genres began to emerge. So-called ‘Afro’
genres in Ghana were born out of local musicians’ exposure of Western music genres like funk
and soul (along with their themes of black liberation and black pride), as well as jazz and rock.
Drummer, Kofi Ghanaba (aka Guy Warren) is known to have popularized jazz using African
instruments in the 1940s and 50s, leading to the release of his influential album Africa Speaks,
America Answers in 1956, which ushered in the Afro-jazz style. Similarly, the development of
Afro-rock was driven by groups structured in the likeness of rock bands but employing
indigenous Ghanaian drums and melodies. This style was pioneered by Osibisa, formed in
London.
Afrobeat, a blend of African rhythms with funk and highlife, was later developed by Fela Kuti, a
Nigerian. It proved popular in Ghana too, and Ebo Taylor still tours the world today as a leading
exponent of this style. More recently, a new creation known as Afro-beats has evolved, which is
quite dissimilar from Fela’s popular creation. In this style, contemporary acts fuse soul music
with indigenous musical ideas from the African continent. It is usually sung in English and often
focuses on the theme of love. Interestingly, young Ghanaian females appear to lead this cause
with acts like Efya, Becca, Eazzy and Raquel, among others.

Reggae
This Caribbean music style first found its way to Ghana through ‘ska’ but gained momentum
with the spread of Bob Marley’s 1977 album Exodus. Ghanaian bands picked up the style and
began incorporating reggae into their tunes. Reggae’s instrumentation and frequent singing in the
local vernacular largely characterize Ghanaian reggae. Although popular in its own right, a large
number of reggae artist favour Jamaican patois. Artists like Felix Bell, KK Kabobo, General
Marcus, Shasha Marley, Ekow Micah, Roots Anabo, Rocky Dawuni and Black Rasta are some
of the leading Ghanaian reggae artists.
Today, there has been a gradual shift to the more current form of reggae, dancehall - with many
artists battling to claim the title as Ghana’s ‘king of dancehall’. Again, dancehall in Ghana is no
different from that of the Caribbean islands, incorporating its distinctive rhythms and
4
arrangements, albe it sung in the vernacular languages of Ghana. Artists like Shatta wale,
Samini, Yoggy Doggy, Madfish, OD4, Sonny Badu, AK Songstress, Kaakie, MzVee dominate
this style of music, and there appears to be a growing number of female artists in this style as
well.

Burger highlife
This style of Ghanaian popular music traces its emergence to Germany in the 1980s, when
immigrant Ghanaian highlife musicians experimented with fusing German popular music styles,
such as techno-pop, with Ghanaian highlife. It is characterized by musical elements like
palmwine guitar rhythms, disco, funk, and reggae, and is largely sung in the Ghanaian dialect.
Lyrical themes usually centre on love, though its early stages were characterized by themes
related to migration. Artists like George Darko, Lee Duodu, Charles Amoah, Rex Gyamfi,
McGod and Lumba Brothers were the centre of attraction. Today, this style of highlife has been
transformed into what is largely known as ‘contemporary highlife’, with the likes of Daddy KD,
KK Fosu, Daddy Lumba (DL), Daasebre Dwamena, Kwabena Kwabena championing the genre.

Gospel highlife
This style surfaced in the 1980s as a result of mainstream highlife musicians running church
bands. Due to the unstable political atmosphere, the church became an important platform for
musicians to practice their trade. Like the many gospel music styles found in other parts of
Africa, it fuses musical elements from reggae, RnB, indigenous music and other styles with
highlife music. The lyrics typically centre on biblical and inspirational messages. Many groups
and musicians in Ghana today can be said to perform this style of music, with women leading the
way. It is arguably the most popular style of music in the country at the moment, thanks to
musicians like Mary Ghansah, Tagoe Sisters, Bernice Offei, Daughters of the Glorious Jesus,
Ohemaa Mercy, Soul Winners, Qwesi Oteng and Stella Dugan.

Hiplife & Azonto

Hiplife has gained popularity mainly among the youth since the 1990s due in part to the ubiquity
of American music on TV and radio in Ghana. Hiplife artists initially imitated American rap
styles but soon fused this with highlife to produce its own brand. It is characterized by fast-
spoken poetic verses in a variety of local languages over highlife-like instrumentation. Lyrics
usually focus on the daily struggles of the youth in the country. Artists like Reggie Rockstone,
Vision in Progress (VIP), Akyeame, Obrafour, Obour, Okomfo Kwaadei and Abrewanana are
the genre’s current stars.
Today, new developments in Ghanaian urban music have brought forth hugely popular acts like
Sarkodie, Castro, Guru and D-Black, who represent the related genre of dance music known as
Azonto.
The styles outlined above represent some of the key developments in popular music in Ghana
during the 20th and 21st centuries. Though largely rooted in highlife, popular music in Ghana

5
continues to evolve, to the point where Ghana’s artists are considered to be some of the most
loved, innovative and successful popular musicians on the continent.

3. Art/Classical
Art music is music composed to be listened to as it is being performed. Art music is written
down on music score and is expected to be reproduced in the same way it has been written. The
performer is not expected to change anything but to perform it the way the composer created it. It
is similar to reading an essay written by someone. There is demand on the performer to interpret
the music with the ethos and pathos of the composer. This means that the performer should
understand the feelings and emotions the composer put into the music and try very hard to bring
out all these in the performance.
We hear and perform a lot of art music every day. We perform art music in the form of hymns
whenever we go to church or sing from our hymn books. We perform art music when we sing
any of our national anthems: God bless our homeland Ghana and Yεn Ara Asaase Ni. The
canticles, solo and accompaniments on various instruments eg. Voice/atenteben and piano,
anthems (those sung by church choirs, community choirs and other choirs) are examples of art
music. Christmas and Easter are events during which we hear lots of art music in the form of
anthems performed by choirs belonging to some of the orthodox churches and other Christian
organizations. You can listen to G. F. Handel’s anthems like the Hallelujah Chorus, For unto Us
a Child is Born; Ephraim Amu’s Alεgbεgbε Mawu Lↄ Xexeame; J. De Graft Simpson’s Christ
Edzi Konyim; Rev. Newlove Annan’s They that Trust in the Lord; and a host of others on
YouTube. Art music is contemplative. We do not dance to art music when it is being performed.
Listeners are only expected to listen to the music and appreciate it by looking at the style, form
and structure, melodic and harmonic structure, dynamics, tone colour, texture, mood and all that
the music is expressing.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

UNIT 2

THE PERFORMING ARTS: ASPECTS AND CATEGORIES II- DANCE

1. Indigenous/Traditional/Neo-Traditional
The ensembles that perform the music genres also provide music for dancing. In Ghanaian
societies almost all of the music genres that are performed are accompanied with dancing. Dance
is therefore very important to us. One very important thing you must note is that the name given
to the music genre is the same for the music and also the dance associated with the music. For
example, the word, agbadza, connotes a music genre, the ensemble that perform the music genre,
the dance associated with the music genre, the songs that are sung during the performance of the
music genre and the entire performance practice of the music genre.
All the music types have their associated dances. Women may dance to all the music types apart
from those related to vocations, religious rituals (however, this is allowed where women lead the
ritual performance, as in female puberty rites and traditional worship where a woman is the
priestess) and warrior organizations. The dances for some of the music genres are suitable for
some age groups because of their complexity, tempo and stamina needed to execute the
movement patterns in the dance. Some of the movements are sexually oriented and as such
elderly people, regarded as role models, are not expected to participate in their performance.

Gestures
As you are aware, some traditional dances contain movement patterns that are regarded
as gestures. The dances for fↄntↄmfrↄm, adowa, and kete are full of symbolic movements. They
are thus communication devises. One has to be well versed in the meanings attached to the
movement patterns to be able to execute them well.
Transmitting messages by means of bodily movements, especially the stylized
movements of the limbs, are prevalent in traditional Ghanaian dances. Gestures are thus,
described as patterns of movement established by long usage among people, a sort of language of
communication or function which has been going on since the beginning of time, and which is
most useful because it is so recognizable. Gestures are elaborately used in traditional Ghanaian
dances. Most dances, notwithstanding the social level within which it is performed, depict
elaborate gestures. In a fↄntↄmfrↄm dance, for instance, one is likely to see a paramount chief
dancing with his hands thrown sideways and slowly drawn, with sturdy force, onto his chest. In

8
societies where this dance occurs, among the Akans for example, such acts depict the chief’s
sovereignty over the land. Other simple and elaborate gestures exist in dances like bima, adowa,
agbadza, bↄsoε, apatampa and kpaŋlogo.
Gestures identified in traditional Ghanaian dances may be put into about four groups:
social, functional, ritual and emotional gestures.

Social: The following gestures: handshake, farewell, embrace, and salute may be derived from
social situations such as at the parade, football match, political rally, funeral, and marriage
ceremony. These situations have unique stores of gestures from which dancers derive the
gestures they use in their dance.

Functional gestures: Movements designed for practical use exist by the thousands and these
can be taken away from their original environment and made use of in the art of movement.
Functional gestures are prevalent in Ghanaian traditional dances. For example, in adzewa,
gestures depicting work situation are used. Gestures reflecting love forms seventy-five per cent
of the gestures used in the Sikyi dance of the Akans of Ghana.

Ritual gestures: There are pieces of evidence of gestures reflecting rituals in some traditional
Ghanaian dances. Kete adaban dance of the Asantes of Ghana, for instance, requires the dancer
to demonstrate the powers of an executioner. In addition, gestures reflecting some aspects of the
ritual performed before an execution takes place are also demonstrated through the gestures
exhibited by the kete adaban dancer.

Emotional gestures: Since emotional gestures are difficult to create the readable ones are few.
The gestures of grief that are commonly used in performances of most Ghanaian traditional
dance types are those connected with grief. These gestures range from simple to elaborate limb
and bodily movements. One is likely to observe a dancer in grief placing both palms on his/her
head and pacing down sideways and forward and backward with the body bent slightly forward.

Meanings of Selected Dance Gestures

Gesture: Hands raised, spread side and steadily moved to rest on the chest as in fↄntↄmfrↄm dance.
Meaning: All belongs to me. Used by chiefs to indicate the extent of their sovereignty.

Gesture: Right forefinger pointed to an opposite sex, pulled back and touches the left fore finger as
in Sikyi and Kpaŋlogo dances.
Meaning: I love you. This sign is used as a symbol for the advancement of love to the opposite sex.

Gesture: The right fist raised to the shoulder level and supported at the elbow by the left fist. Also
the raised right fist may be held at the elbow by the left hand as in adowa dancing.
Meaning: You can be assured of my masculinity. Normally performed by male dancers dancing
directly behind female dancers, the message is that he is sexually active.

9
Gesture: Back of the right palm struck against the left open palm.
Meaning: I am pleading with you. Exhibited by either a female or male dancer dancing before the
master drum, the chief or a prominent figure at the dancing arena.

2. Popular/Contemporary
A unique hybrid of highlife, hip hop and global beats is setting Africa’s dance floors alight in
this generation. African music especially West African’s tunes are extending throughout playlists
across the world and genres such as hiplife, juju music, highlife and Naija beats, among others
are often lumped under the afro-beats umbrella. In the 70’s, African beats were hugely
influenced by the works of Ghanaian Afro-rock band Osibisa and Afro beat star Fela Anikulapo-
Kuti of Nigeria. Now Afro beats music is the new international wave of virulent music reaching
outside of the continent and into the rest of the world. Sarkodie, FuseODG, Wizkid,Yemi etc.
have played a huge role in Afro- beats. As afro-beats swells, afro dance cannot be sidelined.
Popular dance forms include Amanda, Azonto, Al Qaeda, shaku shaku, pilolo, kupe, Akwaaba
dance,Gwaragwara etc.

3. Art
Artistic dance is dance that has been written down, that is, choreographed. Choreography is the
art or job of deciding how dancers will move in a performance. In other words, it is the art of
composing movement patterns for a dance. Ballet and Shastriya Devesh (India) is an example of
artistic dance.
In most artistic dances, the movements involved have been arranged to carry a message or to
narrate a story. The message or the plot of the story is enfolded through the body movements
made by the dancers to the accompaniment of music. The movement patterns involved may be so
stylistic and intricate that special skill is needed to be able to execute them. The dancers
therefore go through long periods of training to acquire the skills and techniques needed for such
dances. Have you watched the performance of atsiagbekↄ before? Imagine the amount of training
atsiagbekↄ dancers go through to be able to maneuver the intricate movement patterns involved
in its performance. Performing arts education institutions train dancers for artistic dances. In
addition to these formal institutions, individuals have established their own schools where people
are taught to perform artistic dances. Examples of these individuals are Slim Buster who is based
in Accra and Jason Otoo and his Odikro Dancers based in Cape Coast.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

10
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

11
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
UNIT 3

THE PERFORMING ARTS: ASPECTS AND CATEGORIES III- DRAMA

1. Traditional forms of drama

Traditional drama was displayed in everyday events. The activities we engage in our societies
are very dramatic. The process of offering libation and the oratory by way of prayer that
accompanies it, marriage events, funerals, enstoolment and enskinment (and even their
opposites) and festivals are just a few examples of such dramatic events. Apart from these, the
process of storytelling can be very dramatic if it is performed by a good storyteller. If you
remember, storytelling is an event that combines music (singing of storytelling songs and
mmoguo) accompanied by dance and drama when the storyteller mimics some of the antics and
voice tones of the characters in the story. Musical games/play also form part of traditional drama.
List some of the examples of musical games/play you know in your locality and discuss with
your colleagues

The traditional performing arts have served and continue to serve as focal points for rallying
group solidarity and reinforce cultural values. All of us relate to the performing arts as expressed
in our various communities. The moral values they expose us to are still cherished by Ghanaian
societies and give us the sense of belonging to an identifiable social group. We are drawn to the
performing arts from our localities or ethnic areas whenever and wherever they are performed.
Can you imagine what would happen if these traditional performing arts become extinct? We
would lose a huge part of our culture. The advent of television, film and video has done away
with our traditional storytelling sessions in the evenings. By the fireside, a Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation programme which used to be broadcast on television is no longer there. Think and
suggest ways by which we can sustain our traditional performing arts.

2. ARTISTIC DANCE
Have you acted in a play before? What was the title of the play and who wrote it? What role did
you play in the drama? Students in secondary school who belong to the Drama Club often act
plays like Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame, Ama Ata Aidoo’s The Dilemma of a Ghost,
and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Do you remember the TV Theatre shows of
the 1990s and 2000s? I hope you remember, for example, people like Carlos Abbey whose stage

12
name on TV was Idikoko, Adjetey Annang who was known as Pusher and David Dontoh.
Compare their shows with shows by Kumawood actors like Kwadwo Nkansah Lilwin, Kwasi
Boadi (Akrobeto), Kwaku Manu, Rose Mensah (Kyeiwa) and so on. What do you find to be the
differences between the performances of the two groups?
One of the differences is that the actors in the TV Theatre series had to read and
memorize their lines, that is, everything they had to say was written for them and they had to
commit this to memory. In other words, they recited what they had memorized as they acted their
parts. They were not expected to add anything to the script, that is, what had been written for
them. If they had anything to add they had to consult with the movie or film director before
memorizing their lines. Once they were acting, they could not add their own words or sentences
to the script. However, Kumawood actors do not have to memorize long lines. Rather, they are
taken through the plot of the story they are to dramatize and are told the gist of what they are to
say. They then have to create what they would say to agree with the gist of the story.
In artistic drama, the actors and actresses have to read and memorize what they have to
say. They play out what has been written for each of the characters in the play. This means that
artistic drama is based on a written out script which the actors and actresses have to memorize
and recite as they act their roles. Since artistic drama is most often written in English it tends to
reach out to a wider audience than traditional drama.

3. STAGED PLAYS AND FILMS

The term "drama" comes from a Greek word meaning "action". The two masks
associated with drama represent the traditional generic division between comedy and tragedy.
This shows that a piece of drama could end on a happy note or a sorrowful note. Drama that ends
happily is known as a comedy while the one that ends sadly is referred to as a tragedy. This
reflects the idea that any action one took could end happily or sadly.
The use of "drama" in a narrower sense to designate a specific type of play dates from the
modern era. "Drama" in this sense refers to a play that is neither a comedy nor a tragedy—for
example, Zola's Thérèse Raquin (1873) or Chekhov's Ivanov (1887), and coming home to Ghana,
Uncle Ebow White’s plays. It is this narrower sense that the film and television industries, along
with film studies, adopted to describe "drama" as a genre within their respective media. That is
why we have dramatic arts such as: “Akan drama”, “Show case in Ewe, Dagbani and several
dramatic productions in the other Ghanaian languages usually telecast on our television sets. The
term “radio drama” has been used originally to refer to live performances and a more high-brow
and serious end of the dramatic output on radio. The enactment of drama in theatre, performed
by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a
collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is
directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective reception.

Before the 1980s, drama troupes popularly known in Ghana as concert parties toured the
entire country with their brand of drama. The themes were taken from the lived experiences of
their audiences. These were projected on to the stage for entertainment. Since the themes were

13
based on the natural every day experiences of the people, these plays served a cathartic function
for the audience and people flocked to the town halls, community centres and so on to watch the
shows. Famous among these groups were Jaguar Jokers, F. Micah’s Concert Party, and so on.
When military regimes with their accompanying night curfews did away with concert party
performances, television telecast concert party shows on television. Groups like Daakye,
Adehye, Ↄbra, and Nteaseε performed on television for the entertainment of Ghanaians. There
were parallel groups among the major non-Akan ethnic groups in Ghana. There were the
Showcase in Ga, Showcase in Eʋe, Showcase in Dagbani, and so on. There was also TV Theatre
telecast in English.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

14
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

15
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

16