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The group Bernard Woma, master of Dagara music, is one of the leading traditional African musicians in Ghana. He leads Dagara Dance Troupe, which resides in Accra, Ghana's capital city. The company evolved from previous groups through the efforts of Bernard Woma, John Bosco, John Yelkebono, Dr. Sebastian Kogh Bemile and elders of the Dagara people in Accra. Their intent is to train the youth and preserve their traditions and culture outside their traditional homeland of northwestern Ghana. There are five dialects in the Dagara tribe, and this group is the flagbearer of the various forms of rich traditional music and dances throughout the Dagara land. They portray music and dances ranging from spiritual, religious ritual and traditional funeral music to the recreational circular Bewaa dance. The long history and continued existence of this group has come to rpove today the commitment of the leaders of the group to keep the Dagara culture as aunifying force amongst the various Dagara dialects in Ghana and Burkina Faso through the use of xylophone music and dance. The group has toured and performed at important governmental functions and national festivals across Ghana, including the PANFEST festival, National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) and the annual Kakube xylophone music festival in the Nandom Traditional Area of Ghana. The group has won recognition and awards, including Best Dance Group at Kakube 1999, and the Champion of Champions award at Kukube 2001. In January 2001, Bernard Woma, head xylophonist and master drummer of the Ghana National Theatre, and his award winning ensemble, the Dagara Dance Troupe, performed traditional music and dance before a ten-man television production crew from one of Ghana's national TV stations. This performance of traditional West African xylophone music and dance, featuring one of Ghana's top musicians and his best dancers, was recorded on location beneath the forested hills in the outskirts of Accra, Ghana's capital city. Dagara music is some of the oldest xylophone music in the world, with complex polyrhythms that challenge listener and performer alike. The dancing is joyful, expressive and highly participatory. This live performance video is offered for sale as a means of sharing Dagara music and culture with the global community of music teachers, students, and enthusiasts. The group is based at the Dagara Music Center in Accra, a music school founded by Bernard Woma to teach African music and dance. Learn more about this school at www.BernardWoma.com
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