Abusua Classes


	Guests who have performed with us include (but are not limited to): Abraham Kobina Adzenyah In 1970, Mr. Adzenyah came from the Ghana National Dance Ensemble to start one of the first programs of African Drumming in the United States at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. The program there has been highly successful during his tenure and has produced some of the most respected western scholars and performers of West African music. Master-Drummer Adzenyah has performed his music throughout Africa, Europe, North America, Japan and Australia. He has also been the representative of Ghanaian drumming at the World Drumming festivals staged by John Wyre in Toronto and Vancouver. Godwin Agbeli The late Ewe master drummer Godwin Agbeli traced his talent in music to his paternal great-grandfather, Adedi, a great drummer whose spirit he had inherited. He was raised in the village of Kopeyia in the southeast corner of Ghana very close to the border of Togo. His father, Anthony Agbeli, was a trusted bell player and his mother, Sahoshie, is a priestess in the Yeve religion and a source of Mr. Agbeli's large repertory of traditional songs. As a member of the Arts council of Ghana's National Folkloric Company through much of the 1960's, working under choreographers such as Robert Ayitee and C. K. Ganyo, Mr. Agbeli learned a large repertory of music from many different ethnic groups. After leaving the Folkloric Company in the early 1970's, he worked as a coach and artistic director for many performing groups involved in the presentation of traditional music, dance and drama. For many years he directed his own troupe, the Sankofa Dance Theater. Mr. Agbeli first taught in the United States in 1972 as a Visiting Lecturer at New York University. He taught regularly in the Boston area under the sponsorship of David Locke, the Agbekor Drum and Dance Society and Tufts University. Mr. Agbeli and his teachings are featured in Kpegisu: A War Drum of the Ewe by David Locke. Letecia Ahima A former member of Odomankoma Kyerema Cultural Troupe and Ghana's National Folkloric Company Letecia Ahima has coached our dancers and helped start the West African dance program at TTU. Juliet and Thy-will Amenya Both Juliet and Thy-will Amenya traveled in the 1980s with the Odomankoma Kyerema Cultural Troupe in Canada, Europe and performed on European television. Thy-will also lived in Italy where he taught drumming and dancing. They performed at the 21st Yugoslav Festival of the Child in Sibenik, Yugoslavia. Juliet has been instrumental in coaching our dancers for a number of semesters, and Thy-will has coached the drummers. Frederick Kwasi Dunyo Mr. Dunyo was born at the Ewe village of Dagbamete, in the Volta Region of Ghana and now lives in the large port city of Tema, where he teaches drumming in schools and gives private lessons. He was the lead drummer for Sankofa Dance Theatre from 1977 to 1981 where, under the tutelage of Godwin Agbeli, he learned much of his repertoire of Ghanaian music. In 1992, Mr. Dunyo was the recipient of a Visiting Foreign Artist grant from the Canadian Government which provided the basis for his first trip to North America.

Guests who have performed with us include (but are not limited to):

Abraham Kobina Adzenyah

In 1970, Mr. Adzenyah came from the Ghana National Dance Ensemble to start one of the first programs of African Drumming in the United States at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. The program there has been highly successful during his tenure and has produced some of the most respected western scholars and performers of West African music. Master-Drummer Adzenyah has performed his music throughout Africa, Europe, North America, Japan and Australia. He has also been the representative of Ghanaian drumming at the World Drumming festivals staged by John Wyre in Toronto and Vancouver.

Godwin Agbeli

The late Ewe master drummer Godwin Agbeli traced his talent in music to his paternal great-grandfather, Adedi, a great drummer whose spirit he had inherited. He was raised in the village of Kopeyia in the southeast corner of Ghana very close to the border of Togo. His father, Anthony Agbeli, was a trusted bell player and his mother, Sahoshie, is a priestess in the Yeve religion and a source of Mr. Agbeli's large repertory of traditional songs.

As a member of the Arts council of Ghana's National Folkloric Company through much of the 1960's, working under choreographers such as Robert Ayitee and C. K. Ganyo, Mr. Agbeli learned a large repertory of music from many different ethnic groups. After leaving the Folkloric Company in the early 1970's, he worked as a coach and artistic director for many performing groups involved in the presentation of traditional music, dance and drama. For many years he directed his own troupe, the Sankofa Dance Theater.

Mr. Agbeli first taught in the United States in 1972 as a Visiting Lecturer at New York University. He taught regularly in the Boston area under the sponsorship of David Locke, the Agbekor Drum and Dance Society and Tufts University. Mr. Agbeli and his teachings are featured in Kpegisu: A War Drum of the Ewe by David Locke.

Letecia Ahima

A former member of Odomankoma Kyerema Cultural Troupe and Ghana's National Folkloric Company Letecia Ahima has coached our dancers and helped start the West African dance program at TTU.

Juliet and Thy-will Amenya

Both Juliet and Thy-will Amenya traveled in the 1980s with the Odomankoma Kyerema Cultural Troupe in Canada, Europe and performed on European television. Thy-will also lived in Italy where he taught drumming and dancing. They performed at the 21st Yugoslav Festival of the Child in Sibenik, Yugoslavia. Juliet has been instrumental in coaching our dancers for a number of semesters, and Thy-will has coached the drummers.

Frederick Kwasi Dunyo

Mr. Dunyo was born at the Ewe village of Dagbamete, in the Volta Region of Ghana and now lives in the large port city of Tema, where he teaches drumming in schools and gives private lessons. He was the lead drummer for Sankofa Dance Theatre from 1977 to 1981 where, under the tutelage of Godwin Agbeli, he learned much of his repertoire of Ghanaian music. In 1992, Mr. Dunyo was the recipient of a Visiting Foreign Artist grant from the Canadian Government which provided the basis for his first trip to North America.