Arts + Culture
PANAFEST: the Cape Coast festival Efua Sutherland imagined for Africa and its diaspora
PANAFEST, the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival, was first held in 1992 in Cape Coast. Proposed by the playwright…
Arts + Culture
Dive into a world of boundless creativity and diverse perspectives with our Arts + Culture corner. Explore the latest in visual arts, literature, and cultural trends
Arts + Culture
The jeli: West Africa’s griots and the families that keep history in song
In the Mande world of West Africa, the jeli, or griot, is a hereditary musician, historian and praise…
Arts + Culture
Mbalax: how Senegal’s sabar drums became the country’s pop music
Mbalax is Senegal's national popular music, built on the rhythms of the Wolof sabar drums combined with guitars,…
Arts + Culture
The atumpan: how Asante’s talking drums speak Twi
The atumpan are a pair of Asante talking drums, one higher and one lower in pitch, that reproduce…
Arts + Culture
Kpanlogo: the Ga drum and dance that grew up in 1960s Accra
Kpanlogo is a Ga recreational drum and dance from Accra that became popular in the early 1960s. Credited…
Arts + Culture
Singeli: the hyper-fast street music of Dar es Salaam
Singeli emerged in the mid-2000s in the crowded Dar es Salaam neighbourhoods of Tandale and Manzese, where DJs…
Arts + Culture
Gqom: the raw, bass-heavy sound that came out of Durban’s townships
Gqom emerged in Durban's townships in the early 2010s, built on minimal, repetitive beats and heavy bass. Pioneers…
Arts + Culture
E.K. Nyame and the Akan Trio: the man who sang highlife in Twi on the concert party stage
E.K. Nyame (1927 to 1977), from Kwahu, founded the Akan Trio concert party in 1952, combining guitar band…
Arts + Culture
Gye Nyame to Sankofa: a guide to Adinkra symbols and where they come from
Adinkra symbols are visual proverbs from Asante culture, stamped onto cloth with carved calabash stamps and dye. Ntonso,…
Arts + Culture
Kente at Bonwire: the weaving village behind Ghana’s most famous cloth
Bonwire, a town near Kumasi, is famous as a centre of Asante kente weaving. The cloth is woven…