How is Agbekor traditionally learned?
As with traditional folk music the world over, Agbekor drumming is an oral tradition by which knowledge is passed from generation to generation without using written music.
What is the traditional dance of the Ewe?
Agbadza
Agbadza is an Ewe music and dance that evolved from the times of war into a very popular recreational dance. It came from a very old war dance called Atrikpui and usually performed by the Ewe people of the Volta Region of Ghana, particularly during the Hogbetsotso Festival, a celebration by the Anlo Ewe people.
What is Atsiagbekor dance?
Atsiagbekor is among the oldest traditional dances of the Ewe-speaking people of Southern Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Originally a war dance performed after battle when the warriors returned to the village, it is now performed on many social occasions.
What instruments are found in Ewe Agbekor musics?
Atsiagbekɔ: Background and Instruments
- gankogui (pronounced gahn-KOHG-way): two-tone iron bell.
- axatse (pronounced ah-HAHT-say): African gourd rattle.
- kagan drum (pronounced kah-GAHN): high-pitched accompaniment drum.
- kidi drum (pronounced kee-DEE): medium-pitched accompaniment drum.
Where did Agbekor originate?
agbekɔ is a style of dance by the West African peoples of Ewe and Fon. It is an ancient dance once known as Atamga, Ga meaning ‘great’, Atam meaning ‘oath’. It is now performed by the people of Dzogadze, a farming community near Akatsi in the Southern part of the Volta Region of Ghana.
How did Agbekor begin?
Agbekor is a popular Warrior dance performed in Africa. It was originated by the Ewa and Foh people who live on the Atlantic coast of Western Africa. It was originally known as “Atamga”, an ancient and traditional dance form often performed in many functions, and also in funerals.
Where did ewes come from?
Ewe unity is based on language and common traditions of origin: their original homeland is traced to Oyo, in western Nigeria, which was a major Yoruba kingdom. Most Ewe are farmers, corn (maize) and yams being their staple foods.
Who was the founder of Borborbor dance?
Remembering Francis Kodzo Nuatro, Borborbor Originator and Icon. As religion becomes the ‘opiate of the masses’ according to Karl Heinrich Marx, a German philosopher and political theorist, so is Borborbor music and dance to the people of Kpando and by extension the Ewe communities in Ghana and abroad.
Why is Agbekor important in Ewe culture today?
Ewe tradition holds that it was originally a war dance, to encourage bravery before combat and to celebrate heroism afterward. Today one can hear Agbekor at major life events within a community, such as weddings and funerals, and also in informal concert settings.