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EWE DRUMMING FROM GHANA: the soup which
is sweet draws the chairs in closer
VARIOUS ARTISTS TSCD924
Recordings and text
by James Burns
The Ewe people of Ghana and Togoare reknowned for their polyrhythmic
drumming and beautiful call and response singing. Travelling through this
region, one is struck by the way in which they have preserved their traditional
music alongside the new cultural ideas brought by globalisation.
The Dzigbordi group is a community dance drumming group that people from
all age groups can join. On this CD they perform several classic dances
from the Ewe repertoire before moving on to their own 'proprietary' dance
- The Dzigbordi (Patience) Dance. Usually these dances are performed
live at funerals and religious ceremonies, but for this recording, the
group chose a secluded courtyard outside the town, resulting in a crystal
clear sound that showcases both the drums and the songs.
• "Beautiful music performed with soulful feeling. The recording quality is superb and the material is amply annotated in thorough and well-written liner notes…consistently brilliant." Yearbook for Traditional Music (ICTM)
