‘FETE DE LA MUSIQUE'

THE Alliance Francaise in Accra was last Saturday turned into a music groove as over twelve music groups with diverse styles and traditions churned out six hours of continuous music.In the process, several groups powerfully expressed their creative potential with a tremendous musical power that swayed and moved the capacity audience till the early hours of Sunday morning.

Groups and musicians that participated in the eighth edition of “Fete de la Musique” in Ghana include Vibration Kings, Black Prophet, Rebirth Jazz Combo, Courage Man Jah Family, Angie and Friends, Takashie, Dela Botri and Bakuye and Ras Tonto - all from Ghana. Others are Edu Bocande (Senegal), Group Ikun (Chad), Tambo Tambo (Togo), Ras Kaya/BG International (Congo).

Senegalese sensation, Edu Bocande treated the crowd with a variety of African music that delighted the audience with its heavy instrumentation and refreshing lyrics that tended to tickle the most insensitive ear.Dela Botri and Bakuye surprised the audience with hiplife music backed solely by traditional African instruments from their latest CD titled “Bakuye”.

Accompanied by atenteben flutes, gome, gonje, xylophones and assorted traditional drums, the young rappers held the audience spellbound with raps that flowed in perfect harmony with traditional rhythms and beats.Led by Kojo Essah, the Takashie Band sent music lovers down memory lane with highlife music from the erstwhile Sweet Talks Band alongside dramatic tracks from their own repertoire.

German musician Angie Braimah and her friends treated the audience with a combination of blues and jazz tunes that appeared to have a soul. Angie sang from the bottom of her heart as her voice soared through the crowd like a bird. A talented young musician, Black Prophet enchanted the audience with a couple of songs from his yet to be released CD which employed traditional beats and rhythms.

With Lady Zuzu on vocals, Ras Kaya entertained the audience with several tunes ranging from rumba, reggae and rock while Courage Man Jah Family introduced what he called reggae blues alongside his five year old daughter. Fete de la Musique was created in 1981 in France by the then Cultural Affairs Minister and has been simultaneously observed as an annual affair in numerous countries.

The programme in Accra was organised, sponsored and presented by the Alliance Francaise in collaboration with the French Embassy in Accra.