Choral music feast at Cape Coast Castle
The 2013 edition of the African Choral Festival organized by the Ghana Tourism Authority and held at the Cape Coast Castle recently was a night of good choral music strong enough to fade away memories of the infamous slave trade for the night.
The choral groups represented at the festival gave good accounts of themselves. From Christian, patriotic to traditional music, from Akan to English and to Ewe songs the choirs served guests of the night with carefully arranged and re-arranged music on golden plates.
The performing choirs including the Oguaa Youth Choir from Cape Coast, the Mass Demonstration from Assin Fosu and the African Youth Choir from Winneba gave audiences including the Central Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Sarpong and the Omanhen of Cape Coast, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta 11 a good round of hymn like chorals earning considerable applause from the audience.
The choir conductors with their robotic and well rehearsed conducting skills added flavour to the night.
The second round of performances gave audiences purely danceable tunes that made many partrons joined in dancing the rest of the night away.
The Singers Taking Action Reaching Souls (STARS) Ensemble form the Los Angeles, USA also added an international touch to an already beautiful night of songs.
The President of the African Federation of Choral Music, Mr Bosco Beiz Niyibizi who himself was dancing most of the night said he was happy that the Ghana Tourism Authority had worked admirably to ensure that choral music was preserved.
He described the festival as exemplary and urged other African countries to emulate saying all must be done to preserve Africa's good music.
Regional minister, Mr Sarpong said the festival is a unique opportunity for Ghana and Africa to showcase to the world its resources, natural and cultural and the unique warmth of the people to help attract more tourists.
He commended organisers of the festival for sustaining it.
By Shirley Asiedu-Addo