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For such a small country, Ghana sure does have a lot of distinct musical traditions, each marked by unique rhythms, instruments, and dance styles. I learned all this first hand when I saw the GCB’s favorite bike-riding, drum-playing, book-selling employee, Dan, perform with the Berklee West African Drum and Dance Ensemble in a show titled Ghana: A Musical Landscape, directed by Joe Galeota.

At the store, we often hear about Dan’s love for West Africa, drumming, and dancing – but hearing about it (no matter how enthusiastic he is) does not compare, even slightly, to going to a show and seeing his entire ensemble, including native Ghanaians, perform for nearly two hours.

The show, which was exhausting just to watch, showcased six traditional musical styles from different regions of Ghana – Kete, Bamaaya, Yilla/Guola, Bewaa, Adzogbo-Todzo-Le, and Kpanlogo. For each style, the dancers wore the traditional dress to provide a more complete portrait of Ghana. Besides just seeing Dan in his dancing element, a highlight of the show was the gyil solo by Bernard Woma, lead drummer of the National Dance Company of Ghana. The gyil is a type of xylophone constructed using wooden bars hung over various sized gourds (see photo when post continues).

I think the show’s success was proved by the last performance, when the audience was encouraged to stand

up and participate in the Kpanlogo dance – a dance that is traditionally celebratory and festive. Everyone joined in, and how could we not with such upbeat, lively, and fun music to move to? This music is truly infectious and I now have a better idea of why Dan has fallen in love with it.

And since I know so, so little about West African music and dance, I hereby defer all questions to Dan.

Note: This same ensemble also traveled to Austin, Texas to perform in the first night of the four-day long Percussive Arts Society International Convention. If we’re lucky, maybe Dan will tell us more about Austin and the second show – hopefully, he broke a leg. You can read more about the musicians and director at the Berklee News webpage.

Read more: Africa, Berklee West African Drum and Dance Ensemble, Ghana, Music, News, West Africa


Jess is a GCB alum and now contributes to the travel blog as often as she can. Jess attended Middlebury College so she loves the Green Mountain State. She also studied abroad in Paris for a semester and has traveled through much of western Europe and the UK. Her most recent travels include trips to Portland, OR, Los Angeles, CA and Spain (Madrid and Andalusia). She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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