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There are over 70 ethnic groups in Ghana, and each of these ethnic groups have their own unique traditional dance style. That means there are over 100 traditional dances in Ghana alone. The traditional dances you are about to witness today are the real deal. Four out of every five Ghanaians could perform any of these dance styles without breaking a sweat.
Welcome to ohAfro. Today, in no particular order, we're taking a tour around Ghana as we look at 10 of the most popular traditional dances in the country. Remember to tell us your favorite in the comment section below. Let's get it started.
10. BOBOBO
Bobobo is one of Ghana's most satisfying dance styles you would ever witness. The dance is said to have originated from the Mid Volta Region in Ghana during the early 1940s. It is performed during festive occasions. Bobobo dance is performed mainly by females, and the costume worn includes a colorful long dress and two handkerchiefs, white preferably. Women with huge assets are a plus, as the dance typically involves whining of the waist.
9. ADOWA
Adowa is a very popular dance in Ghana performed by the Akan tribe. The dance is very famous for its leg movement and hand gestures. Adowa could be easy and yet complicated at the same time, as every hand gesture has a meaning. Hand gestures are used to issue a warning to offend people and also to show power and domination. Sources claim the dance steps were used by hunters to mimic the movement of antelopes, but that leaves the question: how about the hand gestures? Leave us a comment down there if you have an idea.
8. Kpanlogo Dance
Kpanlogo is performed by the Ga tribe of Ghana. The high tempo of this dance makes it very tiring, hence the need for some kenkey. Well, that's the favorite food of the Ga's. It began in the early 1960s as an innovative dance influenced by American rock and roll. The Kpanlogo dance is often performed low to the ground with bent knees and bent back. It frequently features suggestive motions. It's also worth mentioning the popular Azonto dance from Ghana is highly influenced by Kpanlogo.
7. Bamaya
Bamaya is one of the popular and most commonly performed dances in the Northern Region of Ghana. Bamaya is a Dangbani word which literally means river or wet valley. This dance is mostly performed by men who are dressed in feminine clothes. According to old folks, men had to dress like women to give thanks to the gods because it was believed the prayers of women usually got a quicker response than those of men. Oh wait, I don't get it.
6. Tora and Takai
Tora is a female version of the Takai dance. Both dances come from the Dagbon tribe of Ghana. Tora is a fun, game-like dance in which two dancers knock their butts together in time to the cadence moment of the drums. Dancers form a line and take turns going out into the dance stage. Each dancer knocks twice, I mean, knocks butts twice. Those without butts suffer the most, trust me.
5.
This is one beautiful dance from the Frafra tribe of Ghana. This energy-demanding dance focuses more on footwork than any other part of the body. There is a short burst of vigorous dancing, which is followed by a time-out period, for the lack of a better word.
4. Kete Dance
Another very popular dance performed mostly by the Ashantis is the Kete dance. This is a royal court dance that has moves similar to the Adowa dance. The term Kete simultaneously refers to a specific set of instruments, the music played by those instruments, and the dance performed to that music. It is also interesting to know no sandals or handkerchiefs are used, except for the traditional leaders.
3. Apatampa by Fantes
The Fantes of Ghana are known for producing greats like Kofi Annan, but when it comes to traditional dance, the history behind the Apatampa will leave you in stitches. The reason for the stuffed butts came from the story of a woman who successfully used her butt to resolve a dispute between a giant and a native Fante man. Leave us a comment if you want to know the details to this story. I know you do. Now, this great dance is normally performed during durbars and festivals by the people of Cape Coast and Elmina. Men do the drumming while the women do the thing. What thing?
2. Klama and Otofo Dance
Most Ghanaian traditional dance moves demand winding of the waist, and this dance by the Krobo tribe is a perfect description of a waist job. Historically, this dance is used in puberty rites and rituals and is thought to have been fast performed by dwarfs. The dance involves sideways and forward shuffling movements, making use of short, brisk steps with the body slightly bent, moving the dancer diagonally and backwards.
1. Kundum Dance
The Kundum dance is a festival dance performed by the Ezinzema people of Ghana. The first performance of this dance is believed to have dated back to the 17th century. The dance is performed to thank the gods for the abundance of food during harvest season.
So that's it for today. Hope you enjoyed the video. If you did, leave us a comment, leave us a like, share with a friend on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. I'm your host Murphy, and I'll catch you in the next video. PEACE.