GhanaExpo, Aug 9, 2017
EDZORDZINAM FAFALI BORBORBOR BAND(Abeka Lapaz )
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Edited by Azizi Powell
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/03/five-youtube-video-examples-of-singers.html for Part II of this two part pancocojams series. That post showcases a few videos of the Ghanaian (Ewe) music group Edzordzinam Fafali Borborbor Band with a focus on how Borborbor singers alternate individual hand clapping with other synchronized hand motions.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the founders, leaders, and other members of Edzordzinam Fafali Borborbor Band and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/borborbor-performances-togo-ghana for a 2012 pancocojams post entitled "Borborbor Performances – Ghana and Togo, West Africa"
ARTICLE EXCERPTS/COMPLETE REPRINT
These excerpts and one complete reprint are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only. However, based on current YouTube videos, some of these excerpts refer to traditional Borborbor music and dance instead of describing how that music and dance are performed in the 2000s.
Excerpt #1
From https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/Borborbor-dance-in-Ghana/td-p/1419603#:~:text=Borborbor%20is%20an%20African%20tribal,the%20use%20of%20%E2%80%9Cdrums%E2%80%9D.
"Borborbor dance in Ghana
*Borborbor dance*
Borborbor is an African tribal dance of the “Ewedome” community in Ghana, Africa. This “tribal” dance is said to have originated from the mid Volta region in Ghana. This dance is generally performed during “festive” occasions. In addition, this dance style essentially consists of music that involves the use of “drums”. Furthermore, the music used for this dance is also accompanied by “singing”. In addition, this form of dance is mainly performed in a group from dawn right until dusk.
It is believed that the root of this dance form has been embedded within the culture of a village called Wusuta located around the Volta Lake in Ghana during the late 1940’s. It was however an ex-police officer belonging to a village called Kpando called Francis Nuatro who first developed a musical genre called “Borborbor”. He apparently fused styles of music such as the Konkoma to produce this (Borborbor) genre of music. Furthermore, it was then to the rhythms of this music that this dance form was eventually produced, and was quite aptly named “Borborbor”.
b. *Costumes used in the Borborbor:*
This dance form is performed mainly by females and the costume worn includes a colourful long dress and two white handkerchiefs.
c. *Instruments involved in the Borborbor:*
“Traditional instruments” belonging to the Ewe community is basically used in this dance style. They include a pair of castanets, container rattles, a small drum called “vuvi”, a supporting drum called “asivu”, and a master drum called “vuga”.
d. *Training availability and dance technique involved in the Borborbor:face_blowing_a_kiss:
In terms of the technique, this dance involves the performers forming a circle, and swaying to the rhythmic beats of the music produced by the drums played by the musicians. In addition, while dancing the performers are supposed to twirl two handkerchiefs in the air. As for training centres/schools there are none available around the globe since this is essentially an “African tribal dance” that is performed exclusively by a tribe in Ghana known as “Ewedome”.
Excerpt #2
From
"The joy on achieving Independence in Ghana was expressed in
various ways by the entire populace of the country. This “new life” envisaged,
resulted in the emergence of several new musical types. These new creations
relating to the “freedom” to be enjoyed through the said independence have
roots in the popular Ghanaian Highlife. Boborbor is one of such musical
creations of the period 1947 – 1957. Also known as Agbeyeye or Akpese; Boborbor
originated from Kpando in the Volta Region of Ghana through the ingenuity of
the late Francis Cudjoe Nuatro popularly called F.C. Boboobo is presently the
most popular social music and dance of the central and northern Ewes of Ghana
and Togo. It is generally performed at funerals and other social occasions.
Boborbor music and dance ceremony is syncretic in character and it is performed
principally in a circular formation."
Excerpt #3
While many Ewe genres include mixed-gender dancing, the typical gender roles of this genre include female dancers, and male drummers. Drumming is typically performed only by men in Ghana. A trumpet or bugle is commonly used to accompany the singing and improvise around the melodies of the songs. The instrumentation includes the toke (boat-shaped single bell), kretsiwa (iron finger bell), akaye (gourd shaker), vuvi (small stick drum), asivui (hand drum), dondo (double-sided hourglass-shaped talking drum), vuga (master drum)."
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Complete reprint #4
From https://tradancestudio.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/the-borborbor-dance-by-the-ewe-people/ By Edem Teigo
"Borborbor dance historically is an African recreational dance by the people of Ewe ethic group in Ghana and started by the people of Ewedome before later spread to Kpando, Hohoe, Ho and southern part of Volta Region and other regions of Ghana. The Borborbor genre is also called “akpesee” and spread to all Ewe speaking areas including Togo and Benin.
The root of the dance has been embedded within the culture of a village called Wusuta, located around the Volta Lake of Ghana during the 1940’s. It was however an old ex_police officer from Kpando village by name Francis Nuatro who first started a musical genre called “Borborbor “. He is the grandfather of Borborbor – genius of the genre if there is any recognition of Borborbor today. He fused the original music form, Konkoma with other forms of music genres to the modern Borborbor sound. The genre gained ground and was recognized as one of the popular dance due to the hard work of Francis Nuatro as many songs of Borborbor were composed by him. During a visit to Kpando by Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, it was reported that the rhythms of the borborbor music used at the welcoming ceremony won his heart as he joined the dancing led by Nuatro group.
Traditional instruments found at the Ewe community are basically used for this dance style. They include a pair of castanets, a container rattles, a small drum called “vuvi” a supporting drum called “asivu” and a master drum called “Vuga” but many bands now use between two and four drums. The castanets go” kor kor kor, kor kor kor, in triple beat in almost all borborbor music. The smaller drums basically just keep the rhythm going. It is the bass drum that provides the distinctive borborbor sound. That is why the master drummer must be good. In a typical borborbor number, the lead singer may start alone or with the accompaniment of the castanets. The drums and the chorus follow after some singing. The interchange between lead singer and chorus go on for some time through different songs. Then the bugler blows his first two notes, usually drawing out the second one as long as possible (pa paaaaaa) whereupon the dancing girls will bend down (it is not called borborbor for nothing) adding some more styles to their movements. The master drummer will raise his act sometimes following the melody of the horn, at other times inter-lacing rhythmically with it. The bugler ends his long solo on a note that cues the lead singer to take up the singing again at the same time as the dancing girls will rise up, their white handkerchiefs fluttering in the air in a calculated dance movement.
The Borborbor dance has now adaptation of rhymes and high life as songs as traditional Borborbor songs has been adulterated thereby affecting the significant of that rhythmic dance form.The genre is performance at funeral, festival, naming ceremony and ceremony to welcome special guests."
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Excerpt #5
From http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=201101
"A
traditional Borborbor group consists of a pair of castanets, container rattles,
small drums (vuvi), supporting drum (asivu), and a master drum (vuga) but many
bands now use between two and four drums. The castanets go ”kor kor kor, kor
kor kor”, in triple beat in almost all borborbor music. The smaller drums
basically just keep the rhythm going. It is the bass drum that provides the
distinctive borborbor sound. That is why the master drummer must be good. In a
typical borborbor number, the lead singer may start alone or with the accompaniment
of the castanets. The drums and the chorus follow after some singing. The
interchange between lead singer and chorus go on for some time through
different songs. Then the bugler blows his first two notes, usually drawing out
the second one as long as possible (pa paaaaaa) whereupon the dancing girls
will bend down (it is not called borborbor for nothing) adding some more styles
to their movements. The master drummer will raise his act sometimes following
the melody of the horn, at other times inter-lacing rhythmically with it. The
bugler ends his long solo on a note that cues the lead singer to take up the
singing again at the same time as the dancing girls will rise up, their white
handkerchiefs fluttering in the air. I have seen a group use black and red
handkerchiefs. That is ugly. It is an abomination that will be sternly frowned
upon by the borborbor aficionados. Anything other than white handkerchiefs
detracts from the purity of the dance."...
-snip-
Based on the YouTube videos that I have watched, "white" isn't the only color cloth that is twirled by Borborbor dancers in the 2000s.
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Excerpt #6
From http://www.bridgingdevelopment.org/culturepages/musicpages/borborbor.htm:
"Borborbor is the most popular style of recreational
music in the Volta Region [of Ghana]. It links traditional drumming rhythms
with proverbial lyrics that frequently include Christian themes. It is the
ultimate blend of old and new. Borborbor is often played at celebrations and
funerals. Borborbor drummers weave moderate beats while women dancers and
singers revolve around them. Women singers carry two white handkerchiefs that
they twirl in the air at the end of a drumming period. A bugle may be used to
add spice to the music. There is usually one song leader who will sing the
first line of a song and lead the people from one song to the next by combining
the meanings of different songs in unique ways to evoke the spirit of the
particular occasion. Everyone in the community may participate in these
performances which usually begin at dusk and can continue well into the night
and even until dawn. Borborbor dance is very suggestive and many boy-girl
liaisons develop during these events."
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Excerpt #7
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hue28PiuCow "BORBORBOR (AKPESSE) A TRADITIONAL EWE DANCE FROM GHANA &
TOGO", published by Ndudu by Fafa, Jun 25, 2018
"Borborbor is a traditional Ghanaian and Togolese dance. The drummers are surrounded by women who sing and dance to the rhythm of the music.
The songs are proverbial in lyrics with Christian themes, which tend to inspire, motivate and uplift one's spirit.
The Nutifafa Borborbor Culture Group of Kpando, performed at my brothers funeral hence the ladies had red instead of white handkerchiefs."...
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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.
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