Badu Evans
The Amamere Folk Music & Dance Ensemble is gearing up to host the maiden edition of a musical event dubbed ‘Celebrating Ghanaian Music &Culture’ in Accra to raise funds to support needy but brilliant students in some selected basic schools in the Accra metropolis.
The concert, which will take place in October this year, will feature seasoned and award-winning cultural music groups and other artistes from Togo.
According to the organisers, the Amamere Folk Music & Dance Ensemble, which won best traditional music group of the year award at this year’s edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA), will use the concert to express its appreciation to fans on its recent feat.
The concert will officially be launched on August.
In addition to the planned musical concert, the group will also embark on an educational tour in some selected educational institutions in the country to promote traditional music and dance.
The leader and creative director of the group, Badu Evans, disclosed that the objective of the educational tour is to develop the talents in the youth and also create employment opportunities for them.
Speaking in an interview with BEATWAVES, he stressed that traditional cultural music and dance is not only to entertain but also to educate, inform and encourage people to work in their communities for national development.
Badu Evans added that traditional music and dance have advantage over foreign music and culture because they are readily available and can be performed at any function.
He condemned the use of foreign songs and dances to perform choreography in schools, describing the practice as “un-Ghanaian”.
Badu Evans, who expressed concern about the gradual disappearance of traditional dance like ‘adowa’, ‘kete’, ‘kpanlogo’, among others, added that “all school activities should encourage children to appreciate our own culture and traditional dances.
The World Association of Performing Arts (APA) on April 29 honoured him for promoting Ghanaian traditional music and dance on the international platforms. He was presented with a plaque and a certificate.
By George Clifford Owusu