Hello BML students and teachers,

The wonderful master xylophonist Bernard Woma will be returning to New York City this coming February, with his Saakumu Dance Troupe from Ghana. They will be on tour from February 25-28th. I will be coordinating a BML workshop with him during that time so please check back if you are interested - we will start posting announcements around January.

I highly suggest his school, the Dagara Music Center, in Medie, Ghana; which is having its 10th anniversary this coming May 2010. It is available to students, and according to http://dagaramusic.com/school, the rates (including stay) are $40/day.

Be well-

Brittany A.

A talented recording engineer friend of mine has recently returned from Ghana, where he recorded Gospel choirs in and around Accra, as well as the last session before the passing of late brilliant Ghanaian jazz drummer, Kofi Ghanaba (also known as Guy Warren). He was noted for his musical works with Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk, and original Ghanaian highlife band The Tempos. Generally, his work transferred through jazz drumset, Afro, free music, from and back into traditional drums and beyond. 

Also, please check out:

Kofi Ghanaba archives (NYU)  and some of his drumming with vibraphone from the WMFU site

BAPMAF, an NGO archival collection, standing for Bokoor African Popular Music Archives Foundation. It is maintained by Professor John Collins, author, musician and ethnomusicologist, at the University of Ghana. The archives pay attention to the history of Ghanaian highlife music and its performers.

Koo Nimo, aka Daniel Amponsah, the original celebrated beautiful Palm wine guitarist. Palm wine guitar, which he made popular in the 1960s, uses a form of plucking akin to classical and flamenco guitar used in popular song. His is some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Koo brought Palmwine guitar from the Asante region (middle-west) of Ghana. 

Professor Willie Anku is a theorist/ethnomusicologist who focuses on rhythmic theory and travels giving numerous international conferences. This is from his course I took at the University of Ghana-Legon, and here are some examples of notated rhythms he discusses.

A focus of his themes include categorizing rhythms within mathmetical frames and notes how different groups of people, i.e. Yoruba, Bembe, and Ewe, perceive the "1" or "western downbeat". He describes African music theoretically within cyclicality, time and circles. Here is a photo of the time cycle example below...

Here is a link to his full dissertation online.