Samini's troupe to thrill patrons of Ultra South Africa Music Festival

The Ultra South Africa music festival has announced Ghanaian-based sensational cultural enterprise, Samini Troupe, to its stacked artist line-up.

The phase 1 line-up for the 9th edition of the largest electronic dance music festival in South Africa will include popular artists like Skrillex, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Vintage Culture, W&W as headliners and Samini Troupe, Major League DJz and Shimza and as supporting acts.

The EDM festival will take place in Cape Town on 1 March 2024 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse and also in Johannesburg on 2 March 2024 at Expo Centre at Nasrec.

Samini Troupe brings its collective talents to Johannesburg for a great performance to promote and celebrate culture, foster economic growth and enhance international awareness through music and dance.

Composed of about twenty-five dancers, drummers and actors, the Samini Troupe performs ritual dance theatre which embodies an ancestral past in which Ghanaian deities, animals, plants and elemental forces co-exist in dramatic traditional stories. The troupe’s performances are full of loud, colorful spectacle, utilizing vibrant masks, musical instruments, costumes, drumming, song and chants to explore everyday and sacred beliefs in Ghanaian culture.

One of their signature performances is the “Damba Display,” which brings the traditional Dagomba festival to the stage. This captivating performance portrays different moods of nature and creates moments of deep emotional resonance while stimulating the mind. Through this display, the troupe vividly reveals the rich cultural heritage of the Dagomba ethnic group.

Over the years, the group has performed at various local and international Festivals including SPIRIT of Africa, Seattle Washington at the Seattle Center, Osangol Music Festival (Accra, Ghana), Afro-Pfingsten Festival (Zurich, Switzerland), University of Oregon, Heritage of Africa Festival (Accra, Ghana), Glarus Nord Festival (Glarus, Switzerland), among others.

The Ghana Music Awards have equally enjoyed the performances of the group’s members.

The SA festival, which debuted in 2014, is part of Ultra Music Festival’s worldwide expansion, present in 20 countries. In 2022, the festival announced its 2023 return after a three-year break.