Hello! I’ve had a very fun, busy week in Takoradi, working a full timetable in Mansek, and enjoying lots of other things- playing two gigs in a day on Farmer’s Day, watching the local football team, meeting up with fellow Brits Andrew and James, and becoming a Ghanain millionaire! Having re-read my earlier blogs, and I am increasingly aware that my reports seem to only scratch the surface of my experience. I think that any amount of writing will find it hard to describe my experience full, as it is so different here, but I have taken a bit more time with my blog this week, and hopefully will be a bit more in-depth and insightful! Also, I’ve just uploaded 10 photos, so you can check those out too if you want to. Thanks!

FARMERS DAY (1st December)

This is a national holiday in Ghana and awards ceremonies take place all over the country, to recognize the best and most successful farmers of the year. I attended a ceremony in the nearby town of Apprendu, where I was playing with a local brass band. A Ghanain brass band is very different from its English counterpart- it consists of various brass (mainly trombones and trumpets) and a huge percussion session, and they play

hymn tunes, which are played from memory, are wildly syncopated, improvised around and the overall sound is really exhuberant and extremely noisy! Luckily for me, most of them are in the same key (E flat major) so I joined in and played around with them, it was very exciting, but tiring work! (those guys have stamina!). The ceremony itself was interesting, prizes for the farmers ranged from goats, to bicycles to ghetto blasters! Each prize was punctuated by a performance by a music or dance group so was quite a long, colourful affair. Musicians are treated really well in Ghana (more so than in the UK!), and so we were invited to an after ceremony reception, where we were plied with free food and drinks!

In the evening we headed to Busua Beach Resort, where the Highlife band were playing an audition gig, to possibly become the resident band at the resort, which would be great as it is a lovely hotel, right next a beautiful beach! As is the way in Ghana, it entailed a lot of waiting around before anything happened, and we ended up going onstage at 8pm (but had meant to be 4pm!). Nevertheless, it was a great gig. The vibe onstage was really good, the audience were appreciative and danced all night, and I got to perform too – a mixture of tromboning, dancing, and then they got me up to sing lead vocals on ‘3 Little Birds’ by Bob Marley- one of my favourites! We’re still waiting to hear back from Busua, but I think the band are very optimistic! By the end of the day I was completely exhausted, but nevertheless had been a great day of music, sunshine and the beach (can you ask for any more than that?!)

WATCHING THE FOOTY- GHANAIN STYLE!

Football, like religion, is everywhere in Ghana. The locals’ knowledge of European football far outstrips mine, and football, like music, is evident everywhere, and you can see children playing out in the street, all day, every day! So I decided it was time that I went to see the local team – Hasaacas – who play at Sekondi (which is twinned with Takoradi). They are in the Premier League, which is a professional league, although is a world away from the UK Premiership! Their ground is mainly open terraces, and there was an enthusiastic crowd of around a thousand people. Anyway, the game was really engaging- fast, direct, physical, attacking football, very open and exciting! The home team won 1-0, with a fantastic bicycle kick as the only goal of the game. I went wearing my Coventry City shirt, but funnily enough no-one here seems to have heard of my beloved Sky Blues! (everyone ‘supports’ either Chelsea or Liverpool here). Anyway, it was a great way to spend Sunday afternoon, and I look forward to their next home game in a fortnight

THIS WEEK AT MANSEK……

I have been continuing teaching minor scales to the students this week, which they are really getting the hang of now, in both the harmonic and melodic versions! I am increasingly teaching using ‘so-la’ as a teaching aid (as in doh, rei, me, fa, lo, la, ti, doh!) because this is the way Ghanains are taught at school. Teaching here really keeps me on my feet, as their musical upbringing is so different from the UK, and the students are so very inquisitive! For example, yesterday we had a long and involved debate on the difference between scales and key signatures, and I think in the end they understood the difference! I have also introduced the Circle of Fifths (a diagram explaining key signatures) which they love, and understand really well. I was teaching it to a group of young children on Saturday, and they were excellent, and even grasped the idea of enharmonic equivalents very quickly. Amazing! The teachers continue to love singing English folk songs, this week I have taught them ‘Molly Malone’, ‘Drunken Sailor’ and ‘Yellow Submarine’, and we sing them every day! I reflected that in some ways they are quite similar to Ghanain music, as the harmonies are simple, with a small melodic range, and are designed for mass participation! The music has still not come from the UK, which is infuriating as it was sent over two months ago, and so sadly the orchestra has come to a standstill for now.

BRITS ABROAD

On Monday I met up again with Andrew and James, who are overlanding from UK around Africa, and back again! I’d met them the previous week at Green Turtle Lodge, and they passed through Takoradi this week before moving on to Accra, and then through Togo, Benin, Nigeria and beyond! It was good to meet up and chat about our travel experiences, and they reflected that Takoradi is one of the nicest towns they’ve been to so far, very friendly, compact and plenty of things to do. This affirmed my growing affection for Takoradi: I am really enjoying living here now, and no longer feels chaotic and overbearing as it did at first. Infact, I find it very peaceful and easy going and I love walking in and out of town each day, and observing life happening around me, it’s my favourite part of the day( although Ghanains cannot understand why I insist on walking!) Anyway, after a meal and a few beers, so said our goodbyes, and vowed to meet up in the UK next year. They’ve got a long way to go first!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

Well Bob Geldof was very perceptive when he sand ‘there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time’, I reflected as I sat in the blazing sun writing my Christmas cards this weekend! It is feeling vaguely festive here, due to the reggae versions on traditional Christmas carols on the radio, and the odd Christmas tree, but somehow it’s not easy to enter the Christmas spirit in this heat and humidity! My mum sent me some money over for my present, so I am having a djembe made for me by a guy recommended by Fiffi, and hopefully I will go to his workshops and pick it up next week. I also picked up a money transfer this week from UK, making me a multi millionaire in Ghana! Hooray!

A FINAL THOUGHT

I think I have already referred to what a deeply religious country Ghana is, with Christianity as the dominant religion – all denominations are represented here, and they happily co-exist in towns and villages alike. But there is also a significant Muslim population in Ghana, mainly in the north, but there are lots of Muslims who hang around Takoradi, in their wonderful colourful clothes. Yet, there is nothing even approaching racial tension, and both religions happily co-exist, and are very respectful of one another. It is often said of Ghana, (and clichés are often true) that it is an extremely peaceful and safe country, and I can emphatically endorse that. Infact, I feel far safer walking around Ghana than I do in the UK and I think in the light of current Christian/Muslim tensions in the rest of the world, Ghana is a shining example to us all.

James x