Innovations in Bɔbɔɔbɔ of the Eʋe of Ghana

Abstract

In the 1950s, Bɔbɔɔbɔ, a pan-ethnic dance-music genre emerged in Ghana and performed predominantly among the northern Eʋe in Ghana. Its development has been characterized by socio-political and religious nuances that influenced its stylistic essence. Over the years, cultural transformations and individuals acting as agents of change continue to influence the performance tradition of Bɔbɔɔbɔ thereby making it one of the most popular indigenous dance-music genres in the country. This study examines innovations in Bɔbɔɔbɔ performances since its emergence by focusing on ensembles drawn from across the Volta and Greater Accra regions of Ghana, as well as three famous exponents of the tradition. It offers insight into the practices as characterised in the general transformation that reflects the performance tradition today. The study also examines the socio-cultural and religious significance of themes and drum text of Bɔbɔɔbɔ thus providing a context to explore key factors that continue to enhance and or threaten its sustenance. It adopts qualitative mode of enquiry that embraces ethnographic fieldwork to examine the sociohistorical, political, religious and cultural dimensions of Bɔbɔɔbɔ performances. It also explores the use of Bɔbɔɔbɔ song texts as a medium and repository for cultural knowledge and history of the people. The research is framed within the theoritical lenses of social “reconstructionism”, interpretative innovation and the “five-domain framework” for music sustainability. It concludes that within the current socio-cultural environment, the dance-music tradition continues to experience innovations as performance dynamics are reframed to suit contemporary essence. The study contributes to literature in ethnomusicology within the context of innovation and sustainability of Bɔbɔɔbɔ performance.