Music of Ghana - Traditional Music

Traditional Music

The northern region of Ghana lies in the sparsely vegetated Sudan and Sahel grassland belts. The Dagomba peoples of this region focus of a wholesome mix of both melodic composition on stringed instruments (like the Kologo and Gonjey), wind instruments and voice, with various poly-rhythmic compositions clapped, or played on a variety of drums like the talking drum, gourd drums or brekete. The tradition of gyil music (known as a Balafon in neighbouring French-speaking countries) is also shared throughout the northern and upper regions of Ghana bordering Burkina Faso. A long history of griot praise-singing traditions exists in northern Ghana. Music in the northern styles are mostly set to a minor pentatonic scale, and melisma plays an important part in both melodic and singing styles.

The fertile, forested southern coastal region is inhabited by African Ghanaian groups speaking Kwa languages such as Akan and Ga. Their music is in the Niger-Congo tradition, associated with social or spiritual functions, and relies on complex polyrhythmic patterns played by drums and bells as well as harmonized song. An exception to this rule is the Akan tradition of praise-singing with the Seperewa harp-lute, a now dying genre which had its origins from the griot traditions of the north.