After recently living in West Africa for a full two years, this summer’s six and half week trip to Ghana flew by in the blink of an eye. It’s hard to believe that here I am already, 30,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, typing my final blog entry for this summer’s trip.

“With every sweetness, there is also bitterness,” an Ashanti chief recently explained to me, using the Twi proverb to reconcile the news that a fight broke out at an otherwise peaceful and celebratory drumming event. If the chief's proverb is true, then I would propose the reverse would also stand: “with every bitterness, there is also sweetness.”

The origin of Kete is not universally agreed upon. This week, however, fascinating interviews with Kete groups at Tafo and Kokofu - two of the oldest in the Ashanti Region - provided dramatic oral histories on the beginnings of this powerful percussion music. 

Early Monday morning, I packed up my recording equipment and boarded a trotro to Ankaase, a small town north of Kumasi famous for having the only Kete group that sings — virtually all other Kete ensembles use percussion exclusively. The Nananom Ankaase Kete Group put on a wonderful performance of five drumming pieces each preceded with its own corresponding vocal melody.

After a weekend of performing, the Centre for National Culture’s Folkloric Group normally takes the day off on Monday to rest. I spent my off-day at the Centre’s Cultural Jazz Bar, researching Kete in Professor Kwasi Ampene’s wonderfully informative monograph Engaging Modernity: Asante in the 21st Century. 

Greetings from Ghana! After a great year in Boston teaching at Brandeis University, working as a T.A. to Professor Attah Poku at Tufts, and studying ethnomusicology under David Locke, I have finally returned to Kumasi. This summer, I am spending seven weeks with Prof. Poku conducting research on Kete, including interviews, recording sessions, and field trips to visit Kete groups in remote parts of the Ashanti Region.

In preparation for his big 15 year anniversary celebration on May 11th, Otumfuo organized six weeks worth of events throughout the region to recognize everyone from fetish priests to educators and the local scientific community. On Tuesday April 29th, the traditional female rulers of Asanteman were given their turn, honored with a durbar at Manhyia Palace, dubbed Queen Mother’s Day.

The music of Benin had always fascinated me, both the traditional drumming music with infamously complex "24/8" bell patterns, and the contemporary creative musicians like Gangbe Brass Band, Lionel Loueke, and Angelique Kidjo who hail from Benin and have achieved international success.