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Atongo, African Footprint delight Danish fans
Atongo Zimba, the well-known player of the two-string ‘kologo’ instrument and African Footprint International (AFI) from Cape Coast, alongside Danish musicians, last week delighted lovers of African grooves in the Danish city of Aarhus with a compelling performance.
Performing at V 58 in downtown Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city, Atongo, together with AFI, enchanted the audience with his ‘kologo’, out of which flowed some captivating music.
He sent the crowd on a musical journey that brought sentimental recollections, while revealing the power of improvisation and collaboration through tracks from his latest Sakunne Sounds album, which has already rocked several festivals throughout the world.
With trumpets, keyboards, guitars, djembes and assorted Ghanaian percussion instruments, AFI enticed the cheering crowd with old Ghanaian highlife songs laced with rock, soul, jazz formations and traditional Ghanaian rhythms, thereby transferring the crowd to 1960s Accra.
Alongside compositions by AFI artistic director, Kweku Addison, the group also exhibited contemporary Ghanaian rhythms that reminded the audience, which included Ghanaians of the exploits and capabilities of local artistes on the international arena.
In the process, Total Hip Replacement, a youthful group in Aarhus, directed by Keld Hosbond from the Royal Academy of Music, joined AFI on stage for a couple of songs, which revealed the beauty and practicality of cross-cultural collaborations.
“It was an enjoyable time at V 58. The vibes were pure and original. It actually did send me into a meditation mood. The sound of horns sent me back to mama Africa. I wish Aarhus has more African performances like this,” said Sistar Ikayla, a Danish reggae singer in Aarhus.
“We had a wonderful time. Atongo is surely going to the top with a simple instrument plus lyrics not understood around this part of the world yet can work themselves into the hearts of listeners,” added Anders Petersen, a social worker in Aarhus.
A leading Ghanaian guitarist, Akablay, who is currently on tour in Denmark, later joined Atongo Zimba in a jam session that equally took the audience by storm. Accompanied by a percussionist from AFI, the trio showcased a cool blend of rhythms from western and northern Ghana.
Yves Afro Events organised the concert in collaboration with various African communities in Scandinavia.
source:
graphiconline
