Asante traditional music, dance (adowa) and funeral

Nana Yaw Opoku Mensah was once a flutist in the courts of the Asantehenes Nana Prempeh I & Nana Prempeh II and possibly Nana Opoku Ware II early in his reign. He was 102 in this video and I was told that he was still in good health in 2006. Nana didn't know his birthdate but he told me that he was born a few months before the Yaa Asantewaa War of 1900.

He is playing the 'odurugya' which is the traditional cane flute of the Akan. The song he's playing i believe is one in the tradition called 'Sikabewuepere'(money's death pangs' which was popularized during the 1920's economic boom in Asante & the Gold Coast Colony.

The flute is often used in songs of lamenting or grief. This piece is more of a recitation than a song really, for the odurugya is a 'talking' instrument, which means that the Akan of antiquity developed a system of encoding their language into the range of sounds/tones the odurugya makes. One must be immeresed in the 'deep structures' of Akan society in order to learn the method of 'decoding' the flute language.

Mixed with this video is footage from the funeral of the Bantamahene Baffour Awuah V, an event that was both solemn and celebratory.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• west
• african
• traditional
• flute
• funeral
• dance
• music
• ghana
• akan
• asante
• ashanti
• kumase
• kumasi

[kbee]

Thanks to everyone for your comments. Yes let's keep this culture alive. I plan to go back to Ghana this July-August and I hope to film some other cultural things.

[pjpj2008]

I miss Ghana too much! this brought me to tears...

Prince...an African American

[kbee]

wow, I'm glad it touched you. Thank you.

[oath2chakam]

I just had my paternal dna test results come in and it states I come down from the Ashanti tribe of the AKAN people of Ghana West African, I carry the last name Ware, do this name have any connection to the land?

[simp1eone]

This tune just brought tears to my eyes. My dad was a chief of Ejisu and when he died they played this tune. I will never forget. I guess its played when any "Odishiye" (Royal) dies. Every beat has a meaning to it, but i cant explain it. They speaking to the forefathers who left before i think.

[hatie3]

@oath2chakam this could reveal a whole lot of secrets in the ashanti kingdom.just your name alone.

[kumasiteeboi419]

@tchokleit in ur point of view

[kumasiteeboi419]

@oath2chakam yes it does,Ware is an important name

[whattheheckevr]

The music is nice and simple.

[owura143]

@oath2chakam Ware is a Ashanti royal name. Like King Opoku Ware. But i don't know the exact meaning.

[opafem]

This is Quality Ghanaian music with meaning

[oath2chakam]

These are truly some of the earth's most beautiful people/culture, thanks for putting this up.

[allianceFiLifeDotCom]

@tavieboy18 would love to do a full study of suriname n jamaican spirituality...so much survived they are still trying to wipe it out with missionaries. they want to turn us into pretend christian zombies

[tavieboy18]

you know look in Suriname (south-america) in our winti-culture we have kind off the same names for our Gods. Anana=the highest one Yaw(Tata Yaw)= Kind of Kumanti riding an Opete and Apuku= one of the lowest Gods. we brought some of our Gods and believes with us when those white people took us... :D

[tchokleit]

Say population instead of "tribe".

Tribe is 10 people....LOL

Western's point of view.....