Wulomei is a Ghanaian music group that was founded in 1973 by Nii Tei Ashitey, with the encouragement of the dramatist and musician

Saka Acquaye Saka Acquaye (2 November 1923 – 27 February 2007)Nii Addokwei Moffatt ''Daily Graphic'', via Modern Ghana, 8 March 2007. was a Ghanaian musician, playwright, sculptor and textile designer. Early life Saka Acquaye was born in Accra, Gold Coast ...

. Acquaye managed the band and wrote some of the music. Ashitey had previously been a percussionist for the Tempos led by

E.T. Mensah Emmanuel Tettey Mensah (31 May 1919 – 19 July 1996), 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. Early years Mensah was born at Accra, in the Gold Co ...

, Tubman Stars and Worker's Brigade highlife bands, but decided to create a more " rootsy" sound to, as he once put it, "bring something out for the youth to progress and to forget foreign music and do their own thing". During the 1970s and 1980s, Wulomei made a number of successful tours to Europe and the United States.

Style and instruments

Except for an amplified guitar, played with the West African finger picking style, Wulomei's instruments are indigenous, with atenteben bamboo flutes and a lot of traditional local percussion that includes the giant gombe frame drums, which provide a deep percussive "bass-line".

Songs and music

Wulomei play old Ga and Liberian sea shanties, gome songs, and the kolomashie and kpanlogo recreational songs of

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

and also

Akan Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan language, a language spoken by the Akan people *Kwa languages, a language group which includes Akan *Central Tano languages, a language group w ...

highlife Highlife is a music genre that started in present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (British colony), history as a colony of the British Empire and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions ...

music. To portray the band's indigenous orientation, Wulomei's performers wear the white or yellow cloth and frilly hats of the Wulomei or traditional priests and priestesses of the Ga people of

Albums

In 1974, Wulomei released its debut record, ''Walatu Walasa'' followed by ''Wulomei in Drum Conference'' released on the Phonogram label.

Legacy and influence

Following Wulomei's initial success, there was a proliferation of so-called "Ga cultural groups" such as Blemabii, Dzadzeloi, Abladei, Agbafoi, and Ashiedu Keteke. Two members of Wulomei also created their own groups. Wulomei's gombe drum player, 'Big Boy' Nii Adu, formed the Bukom Ensemble and Wulomei's lead female singer, Naa Amanua, formed the Suku Troupe. Ga Rapper, Kaseembebe has collaborated with Wulomei on several occasions. They released an album together called ''Akrowa''. The song "Akrowa" sampled the 1973 version of Wulomei's song.

Wulomei returns

Nii Ashitey has retired and the second generation Wulomei is run by his son, Nii Ashiquey, and daughter, Naa Asheley.

References

Sources

Creative Storm Releases Three Maiden AlbumsNii Ashitey & WulomeiWulomei Returns
{{Authority control Ghanaian musical groups