I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive
expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what
culture we're from, everyone loves music.👌 Let’s support our Ewe
Culture Music and don’t hesitate to Call us for any Proggam or for any
sponsorship Deal God bless y’all for the support.
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about Borborbor music and dance from Ghana, West Africa and from Togo, West Africa.
This post showcases a few videos of the Ghanaian (Ewe) music group Edzordzinam Fafali Borborbor Band with a focus on the hand clapping and other hand motions that are performed by that band's singers.
The content of this post is presented for 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.
**** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE I am an African American self-described "community folklorist who knows nothing about African culture besides what I've read and watched online. I first learned about Borborbor music and dance in 2012 as a result of "happening" upon a video while "surfing" YouTube for traditional African music and dance. [The link for the pancocojams post that was the result of my finding out about Borborbor is given above.] Most of the articles and comments that I've read about
Borborbor dancing focus on its drumming style and/or it allegedly being the
source for or resembling contemporary "twerking" dancing.
I haven't found any online content about howBorborbor singers' alternate between clapping
their own hands and performing other synchronized hand motions.
I'm not a musician but it appears to me that the Borborbor singers in the videos that I've watched which show those singers clap their hands on the first and second beats and then (usually) do some other synchronized hand motions on the third and fourth beat.
*By "individual" I mean that the singers are clapping their own hands and not the hands of anyone else.
**By "synchronized" I mean that it usually appears that all or many of the singers at a particular time in a video are doing the same alternate hand motions after they clap their hands. I don't know what-if anything- those motions mean in Ewe culture. Usually the singers stand in place without moving while doing these hand claps and other hand motions. However, sometimes they move from side to side and/or appear to perform some dance moves without leaving their spot.
These videos are given in no particular order. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
DISCLAIMER
This pancocojams post doesn't provide examples of all the hand motions that I've seen in Edzordzinam Fafali Borborbor Band. Idon't know if singers in other Borborbor bands do the same or some different hand motions.
This post also doesn't YouTube videos of this these post doesn't include any time stamps or descriptions of the singers' hand clapping or other hand motions simply because I don't believe I could adequately describe those motions. Please feel free to add your descriptions about these Borborbor singers' hand clapping signatures and these hand motions.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: DzidzÉ”kpÉ”kpÉ” nye dadanya Å‹utÉ” le mÃaÆ’e BÉ”bÉ”bÉ” dekÉ”nuwo Æ’e
domenyinu bliboa me.❤️
Edzordzinam Fafali Officials, Dec 20, 2022
Best traditional culture group Edzordzinam fafali borborbor
band 💪💪 0277141434
****
SHOWCASE #3 - Check this massive borborbor performance ❤️❤️dont
forget to share abd subscribe to our channel ❤️❤️
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about Borborbor music and dance from Ghana, West Africa and from Togo, West Africa. This
dance is also called "Bobobo Akpesse", "Bobobo", and
"Akpessee".
This post showcases a YouTube video of Edzordzinam Fafali Borborbor Band and provides some information about Borborbor music.
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. -snip- 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.
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.
a. *History/origin of the Borborbor:
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 https://ghanagoods.co.uk/ewe-dances/#:~:text=Also%20known%20as%20Agbeyeye%20or,Ewes%20of%20Ghana%20and%20Togo. Ewe Dances: Borborbor Dance by Disphoria, October 12, 2015 "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."
..."Bobobo, the second dance-drumming piece of the night, is a
type of recreational dance-drumming of the Ewe people in
Southeastern Ghana. It originated in Kpando, located in the Northern Volta Region,
prior to Ghanaian independence in the late 1950s. Influences from
West African highlife, for example the offbeat bell timeline, and Western
hymn singing are evident. Most of the song lyrics in Bobobo are set in
the Ewe language.
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)."
****
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."
**** 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 Borborbordancers in the 2000s.
**** 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."
This pancocojams post presents information about Agbadja (Agbadza) music & dance. This post also showcases five videos of Benin, West Africa Agbadja vocalist Gbessi Zolawadji and his group of musicians, vocalists, and dancers.
The content of this post is presented for recreational, folkloric, educational, and aesthetic purposes.
All rights to this material remain with their owners.
It's probably Agbadza, if there's only one traditional rhythm you remember upon return from Ghana or Togo. To tourists without any knowledge of Ewe drumming, this fun piece is simply known as "the chicken dance". You'll know why when you see it!...
Today, Agbadza is a very popular recreational dance. It entertains people at funerals, weddings and any other get-together or party. Even the modern bands in the cities like to incorporate this fun rhythm into their music.
Some traditional Ewe dances are reserved to people of a certain age group or religion. But any child, woman or great-grandfather is welcome to dance Agbadza.
The name itself means something like "for everybody". If you ever get a chance to attend a traditional Ewe event, even you, a foreign visitor, will be expected to dance.
Despite the first impression, the background of this dance isn't all that fun. Before the Ewe people were able to settle in the beautiful Volta Region of Ghana and in Southern Togo, they went through tough times of war and oppression: They had to fight their way to freedom.
To train and encourage their warriors, the Ewe played various war dances, one of them called Atrikpui. In the 1920s, after the Ewe had enjoyed a period of peace, this serious dance turned into the fun and entertaining Agbadza that we know today."
-snip-
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUfU9V3hS-8 "Ewe Abgadza dance from Ghana's Volta Region"; uploader comment: katameemee on Nov 21, 2010
"...the Agbadza, is traditionally a war dance but is now used in social and recreational situations to celebrate peace. War dances are sometimes used as military training exercises, with signals from the lead drum ordering the warriors to move ahead, to the right, go down, etc. These dances also helped in preparing the warriors for battle and upon their return from fighting they would act out their deeds in battle through their movements in the dance."
-snip-
From http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=i2PJ5nYyIjw
...there are different styles of agbadza from place to place. some traditional believers have another tempo and variation but it doesn't make either real nor fake...
-blackvolta; May 2012
****
INFORMATION ABOUT GBESSI ZOLAWADJI
From http://blogs.voanews.com/african-music-treasures/2010/02/04/benin-roots-alekpehanhou-and-gbessi/ "Benin Roots-Alekpehanhou and Gbessi"
-Matthew Lavoie, February 4th, 2010
"Koffi Albert Bessanvi was born, in 1952, into a family of musicians, in the small fishing village of Djegbadji, located on the shores of the lagoon that spreads north from the Atlantic port of Ouidah; which was a center of the Portuguese and Dahomean slave economy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Koffi grew up listening to his father’s performances of ‘Avogan’, a social dance for nobles, but was more attracted to the youthful rhythms of Agbadja; a style of music that he discovered in the village of ‘Oumako’, located in the Mono department.
Koffi started his career in his early twenties and made his ‘major league’ debut in 1976, sharing a bill with many of the country’s most popular cultural artists at Cotonou’s ‘Palais des Congres’. Koffi’s talent brought him success and a nickname; for the last thirty years he has been known to Agbadja fans in Benin, Togo, and Ghana as Gbessi Zolawadji, which can be roughly translated from the Mina language as ‘the beautiful voice that brings everyone together’.
Gbessi has released fourteen cassettes, performed in Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Togo and South Africa, where in 2001 he won the Kora award for best traditional artist of the year...
Although Gbessi’s group is built around the same rhythmic core as other Agbadja groups, he has not been afraid to frame his rhythms with horn lines or piano harmonies."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in no particular order.)
Video #1: Agbadja, Gbessi Zolawadji
Emmanuel Koku, Published on Apr 23, 2013
-snip-
Update: December 31, 2018. This video replaces another copy that is no longer available.
****
Video #2: Togo- GBESSI - Gnaho (traditionnel Agbadja)
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on May 24, 2008
togo music tradi
****
Video #3: Nonvitcha à Grand Popo, agbadja avec gbessi zolawadji
****
Video #4: BENIN - GBESSI ZOLAWADJI - Noulagnon
Uploaded by kandevie on Jun 4, 2008
GBESSI national,mono rhytm
****
Video #5: BENIN - GBESSI ZO. - APE
Uploaded by kandevie on Oct 13, 2008
music traditionel, mono, africa
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
The lyrics of this song say: "It is true that man is more important than money. I called money, but it not respond. When I called on man, he responded". These lyrics encapsulate/emphasise the African communal spirit.
In the background, is the shrine of Mamiwata (lady with big snakes/Sea Maiden), the goddess of the sea/river, a very important divinity in all West Africa. The dance routing executed here is very complex but the dancers make it look easy. The Agbadja music is culturally very rich.
-koudry ; 2010
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Gbessi Zolawadji, and the musicians, singers, and dancers who performed in these featured videos. Thanks also to the videographers, video uploaders, and commenters who I have quoted on those video's comment threads.
This pancocojams post showcases eight selected videos of Borborbor dance & music performances from the Ewe ethnic group of the West African nations of Ghana and Togo. This dance is also called "Bobobo Akpesse", "Bobobo", and "Akpessee".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, religious, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the producers and publishers of these videos.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT BORBORBOR
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."
****
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borborbor
"Borborbor is Ghanaian and Togolese traditional dance performed by the Ewes from mid Volta region of Ghana. The dance is specially performed during the festival of the chiefs and peoples of communities."
-Reference http://www.travel-to-discover-ghana.com/hogbetsotso-festival.html
-snip-
Here's that reference article [posted in full for folkloric purposes]
HOGBETSOTSO FESTIVAL
Hogbetsotso Festival is a festival of the people of Anlo in the Volta Region of Ghana. The theme behind this festival is to mark their journey from their former home in Togo, to their present settlement in Ghana.
The festival is a great time for the people, as this marks a great time in their history and is a time for settling disputes and getting to know each other.
ORIGIN:
History has it that before coming to their present settlement. The Anlo lived under a cruel and wicked ruler, King Agorkoli of Notsie, somewhere south of present day Sudan.
The Anlo people devised a way to escape from the town. They were led by a brave warrior known as the Red Hunter.
hogbetsotso-festival-celebration
The town [where] they were was fenced with a mud wall, so the Anlo women were told to pour water on one side of the wall anytime they had to dispose off any water.
This made the spot soft, and the people were able to break the wall and escape. To avoid being caught, they "walked backwards" so as to confuse their pursuers and even legend has it that “The Red Hunter” turned himself into a rat and walk over all their footprints to make them look old.
When they got to their present home, they created the festival Hogbetstso (Festival of Exodus) to mark this event.
CELEBRATION:
The festival has a host of other celebrations associated with it. There is a period of peace making. During this period, all outstanding disputes must be resolved. The aim is to bring the people together to live in harmony with each other.
There is also a general cleaning in the town. The whole town is swept, gutters cleaned, bushes are cleared and everywhere is kept clean. The cleaning which starts at the estuary of the Volta River, goes on until it reaches the Mono River in Benin.
This cleaning exercise is all inclusive and everyone in the town is supposed to take part. The people of Anlo believe that if they keep their surroundings clean, and they live in harmony with each other, no evil can befall.
They believe that their ancestors lived in harmony with each other all throughout their journey and that is what helped them to arrive at their destination. Therefore if they also want to be able to live in harmony, they must love one another. The cleaning continues for days until everywhere is well kept.
SUMMARY:
The highlight of the Hogbetsotso Festival celebration is a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the town. There is drumming and dancing and merry making. The dancing is the most intriguing part, with the very popular “BORBORBOR” dance which is very intense and fun filled."
-snip-
I'm not sure from this passage if the "borborbor" dance is integrally associated with the Hogbetsotso celebration or is just a popular dance that is performed at that celebration.
The examples given below attest to the fact that borborbor (and its other names) is danced to religious and non-religious music.
Additional comments about this dance are included in the summary statements of the videos found below and in comments after those videos.
*****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are presented in no particular order.
Video #1: Africana Bobobo Akpesse De Totsigan A Hedjranawoe Lome Togo Pourquoi Pas Sur
"i love this dannce soooooooooooooooooo much can some on tell me what the dance is called please????"
-gbb3b, 2011
**
"the name is AKPESSE South of Togo dance"
-nestani365l, 2011
-snip-
In this discussion thread I asked if "Borborbor", "Bobobo Akpesse", & "Bobobo" were the same. Marquange wrote on 12/27/2012 to confirm this.
-snip-
Here are two viewer comments about this video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH_Wj9rO1L8:
"Awesome!!!! I truly love this traditional African dancing, music, and unity of spirit the people show.
Can someone tell me what type of celebration it is. What is the topic of the song.
-ecmiddle1; 2011
**
"@ecmiddle1 this is called bobobo. it is not a celebration.. this is what is done for fun in Togo"
loloremorem; 2012
****
Video #3: Borborbor.AVI
Uploaded by LaurenLevine415 on Feb 22, 2010
I was very lucky to stumble upon this group of people in Ho, Ghana, who were dancing the Borborbor in their backyard-- which is a traditional Ewe cultural dance. It is usually performed after someone has died, and because many of the people are wearing black and red, the traditional funeral colors in Ghana, I suspect that this is the case.
The villagers were especially welcoming to me, even though I was by myself, and simply wandered into their yard uninvited. Many of them beckoned for me to join in, but I was shy and did not know the dance sequence. Instead, to chose to sit on the sidelines and film this video. I'm glad that I did, as it makes me smile each time I watch it.
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from a very informative post about borborbor in which the author takes the position that the color of the handkerchiefs used in this dance should always be white:
"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..." Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=201101
****
Video #4: Dela Delali -Amenuveve
Uploaded by BIGDAVOLK on Dec 11, 2007
Gospel togolais de la reine, la doyenne
-snip-
I particularly love the way Dela Delali includes children in her videos. As an African American, I’m not used to seeing this type of dancing with religious songs. In the USA dancing like that is only reserved for non-religious music and would be frowned upon as sacrilege. But I realize that USA attitudes shouldn’t determine how other people combine music & dance.
This clip shows a borborbor troupe near Tema, in January 2007. This was the day before I left Ghana, and the taxi driver I had used a lot in my travels offered to take me to meet his friends to perform for me, so I obliged. They played for about half an hour, most of which I filmed, and afterwards I gave them a donation so they could buy themselves some drinks afterwards.
