Alfred Ladzekpo

Last updated

Alfred Ladzekpo (born 20th century) is a retired West African music and dance teacher who plays the violin. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Ladzepko was introduced to the art of Ewe drumming by his father, Kofi Ladzekpo, and his elder brother, Husunu Ladzekpo. At the age of thirteen, he was one of the founders of the music and dance troupe Lashibi Agahu. [2] In 1957, he formed a band at Anlo Awoame Fia School; later, he was a drummer for the Gbeho Research Society, the Uhuru Dance Company, and the National Dance Company in Accra. [1] [2]

Career

In 1969, Ladzepko records African music in New York. He studied journalism at California State University, Northridge, until 1974. He later gave theater musical studies, and dance classes in Israel. Since 1994, he has taught in the music faculty at Pomona College. [2] He studied for three years at Columbia University, where he taught workshops on African music and African dance, and is co-director of the African Music and Dance Programme at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). He wrote three African musicals, most recently FeFe, music, dance and theatre. [1]

He was a teacher for 41 years. He has written articles on African music and dance from 1980 to 2012, with 19 works in 23 books in 2 languages. [3] [ failed verification ] He has performed mostly in the eastern United States as well as in Ghana and has given talk shows, demonstrations and taught music and hall workshops in Israel and the eastern United States. [2]

He attended the first international symposium in 1992 in Amsterdam on world music education. He recorded African dance and Sports in 1969 in New York City. [2]

He was executive director of the African music and dance programme and was a principal violinist at Cal Arts. He has been the lead drummer in Accra, Ghana, for the Uhuru Dance Band, the Ghebo Research Group, and the National Dance Company. He taught African music and dance at Columbia University for nearly four years. He had been an African violin teacher at the American university Cal Arts since 1970. [4] His farewell service was held at the Cal Arts World Music and Dance Festival. He retired at the end of the semester after teaching for 41 years at the Cal Arts Institute. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highlife</span> Ghanaian musical genre

Highlife is a music genre that started in West Africa, along the coastal cities of present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its history as a colony of the British and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions of African metre and western jazz melodies. It uses the melodic and main rhythmic structures of traditional African music, but is typically played with Western instruments. Highlife is characterized by jazzy horns and multiple guitars which lead the band and its use of the two-finger plucking guitar style that is typical of African music. Recently it has acquired an uptempo, synth-driven sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babatunde Olatunji</span> Nigerian drummer and educator (1927–2003)

Michael Babatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist.

Guy Warren of Ghana, also known as Kofi Ghanaba, was a Ghanaian musician, most notable as the inventor of Afro-jazz — "the reuniting of African-American jazz with its African roots" — and as a member of The Tempos, alongside E. T. Mensah. He also inspired musicians such as Fela Kuti. Warren's virtuosity on the African drums earned him the appellation "The Divine Drummer". At different stages of his life, he additionally worked as a journalist, DJ and broadcaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obo Addy</span> Ghanaian musician (1936–2012)

Obo Addy was a Ghanaian drummer and dancer who was one of the first native African musicians to bring the fusion of traditional folk music and Western pop music known as worldbeat to Europe and then to the Pacific Northwest of the United States in the late 1970s. He taught music at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

Kpanlogo is a recreational dance and music form originating from the 1960s among urban youth in Accra, Ghana.

The Ga-Dangbe, Gã-Daŋbɛ, Ga-Dangme, or GaDangme are an ethnic group in Ghana, Togo and Benin. The Ga and Dangbe people are grouped respectively as part of the Ga–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. The Ga-Dangmes are one ethnic group that lives primarily in the Greater Accra of Ghana. Ethnic Ga family names (surnames) include Nikoi, Amon, Kotey, Kotie, Adei, Kutorkor, Oblitey, Lartey, Nortey, Aryee, Poku and Lamptey. The following are names derived from the ethnic Dangme and common among the Ningos Nartey, Tetteh, Kwei, Kweinor, Kwetey, Narteh, Narh, Dugbatey, Teye, Martey, Addo, Siaw, Saki, Amanor, Djangba. These are aligned to the ethnic Ga as well: Lomotey, Tetteh, Ankrah, Tetteyfio, Laryea, Ayitey, Okai, Bortey, Quaye, Quaynor, Ashong, Kotei, Sowah, Odoi, Ablor, Adjetey, Dodoo, Darku and Quartey.

Ewe drumming refers to the drumming ensembles of the Ewe people of Ghana, Togo, and Benin. The Ewe are known for their experience in drumming throughout West Africa. The sophisticated cross rhythms and polyrhythms in Ewe drumming are similar to those in Afro-Caribbean music and late jazz. The original purpose of Ewe drumming were sung or performed by warriors. Now the songs and performed to celebrate or for recreational use. For example, Agbadza was originally used as a warrior dance but is now used to celebrate events.

<i>Soul to Soul</i> (film) 1971 documentary film by Denis Sanders

Soul to Soul is a 1971 documentary film about the Independence Day concert held in Accra, Ghana ,on 6 March 1971. It features an array of mostly American R&B, soul, rock, and jazz musicians.

Emmanuel Tettey Mensah, was a Ghanaian musician who was regarded as the "King of Highlife" music. He led The Tempos, a band that toured widely in West Africa.

Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia was a Ghanaian ethnomusicologist and composer. Considered Africa's premier musicologist, during his lifetime, he was called a "living legend" and "easily the most published and best known authority on African music and aesthetics in the world", with more than 200 publications and 80 musical compositions to his credit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Symphony Orchestra Ghana</span>

The National Symphony Orchestra Ghana is the national symphony orchestra of Ghana. NSO Ghana was founded in 1959 by order of Kwame Nkrumah, and established by Philip Gbeho, together with the musician Amihud (Ami) Elroy from Israel who was especially invited to Ghana for the three years establishment mission. NSO Ghana was the only classical symphony orchestra in sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa until Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste was created in Congo in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Mobley</span> American musician (born 1961)

Leon Mobley is a percussionist and drummer, founder and artistic and musical director of Da Lion and Djimbe West African Drummers and Dancers, actor, and a member of the Innocent Criminals, Ben Harper's band. He worked with Damian Marley and Nas on a collaborative album titled Distant Relatives (2010). Leon Mobley began as a child actor on PBS Television show Zoom (1973), and has toured the globe as a drummer/percussionist with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (1993–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Leeb</span> Musical artist

Thomas Leeb is an Austrian fingerstyle guitarist.

Philip Comi Gbeho was a Ghanaian musician, composer and teacher. He is best known for his composition of the Ghana National Anthem. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Arts Council of Ghana and was a Director of Music and conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beattie Casely-Hayford</span> Ghanaian entrepreneur, broadcasting and media expert

Beattie Casely-Hayford was a Ghanaian engineer. He was the first director of the Ghana Arts Council, a co-founder of the Ghana National Dance Ensemble, and a director of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

Yacub Addy was a Ghanaian traditional drummer, composer, choreographer and educator who collaborated with many musicians in various genres, including Wynton Marsalis. He has been referred to as "the leading ambassador of Ghanaian music and culture".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derrick Skye</span> Musical artist

Derrick Skye is a composer, conductor, musician, and educator based in the Los Angeles area who often integrates musical practices from cultures around the world in his works. The Los Angeles Times has described Skye's music as "something to savor" and "enormous fun to listen to." The Times (London) described Skye’s music as “deliciously head-spinning.”

Anis Haffar is a Ghanaian educationist, teacher, columnist and author. He is the founder of the GATE institute in Ghana, and is a council member of the Ghana Education Service. Also a notable journalist, he writes a weekly column for the Daily Graphic newspaper entitled "Education Matters with Anis Haffar", and the column "Leaders – Human Capital", in Business World (Ghana). Haffar was listed as one of the 100 most influential Africans of 2016 in Education by New African magazine.

Albert Mawere Opoku (1915–2002), was a Ghanaian choreographer, dancer, printmaker, painter, and educator. He was the first person to teach courses in African dance at the University of Ghana, Legon, and was also the founder and first director of the Ghana National Dance Ensemble.

Beatrice Dzidzorgbe Lawluvi-Ladzekpo is a Ghanaian singer and dancer

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Alfred Ladzekpo". 24700. 2011-06-23. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alfred Ladzekpo: Co-Director of the African Music & Dance Program at Cal Arts", YouTube, retrieved 2023-11-27
  3. "Alfred Ladzekpo". id.oclc.org. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  4. "Drumming – African Presences I: Music in Africa" . Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  5. "CalArts Magazine Spring/Summer 2011 by California Institute of the Arts – Issuu". issuu.com. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2023-11-27.