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

Origin

It was first played by the Ga (people), Ga ethnic group, most of whom live in and around the capital city, Accra, but is now performed and enjoyed throughout the country. It began in the early 1960s as an innovative dance form, influenced by American rock and roll, and giving the younger Ga generations a point of distinction from their elders. Ghanaian master drummer C.K. Ladzekpo states that kpanlogo "is essentially an urban youth dance-drumming and a symbol of the commitment of a rapidly growing Ghanaian urban neighborhood youth in advocating their perspective in shaping the political vision of post colonial Africa" (1995: web). The ''kpanlogo'' dance is often performed low to the ground, with bent knees and bent back, and frequently features sexually suggestive motions. Accounts of police seizing musical instruments and detaining performers in its early days have been documented. The music accompanying the ''kpanlogo'' dance is drawn from older Ga drumming traditions, such as ''gome'', ''oge'' and ''kolomashie''. ''Kpanlogo'' music uses three types of instruments: ''nono'' (metal bell), ''fao'' (gourd rattle), and Kpanlogo (drum), ''kpanlogo'' drums. ''Nono'' plays the clave rhythm, key pattern or timeline of the music, supported by the ''fao''. It is common to have three ''kpanlogo'' drums in an ensemble, in the roles of "male voice", "female voice" and "master drum".

The main kpanlogo bell pattern, bell part is one of the most common and oldest clave rhythm, key patterns found in sub-Saharan Africa.Peñalosa, David (2010: 245). ''The Clave Matrix; Afro-Cuban Rhythm: Its Principles and African Origins''. Redway, CA: Bembe Inc. . The bell pattern used in ''kpanlogo'' is the same as the clave rhythm, son clave pattern heard in Cuban music and. It is also similar to the "Bo Diddley beat" popularized by the U.S. rhythm and blues musician Bo Diddley.

References

*Unruh, Amee Jo (2000). "Kpanlogo: A Detailed Description of One Arrangement of a West-African Music and Dance Genre." M.M. thesis with videotape. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University.

External links

Kpanlogo Conflict, Identity Crisis and Enjoyment in a Ga Drum Dance, by Sonja Rentink
*http://dance.sdsu.edu/african/ga.htm African dances Ghanaian music {{Ghana-stub