The Organization and Instrumental Resources of Adzewa and Adzeba Music and Dance among the Fanti and Guan People of Ghana

Abstract

Adzewa, adzeba and adoba are variants of the same occasional musical type of predominantly female or all-female ensembles along the Fanti coastline of Ghana. The purpose of the study was to examine the structure of adzewa and adzeba ensembles and the utilization of instrumental resources in their performances as predominantly female music and dance ensembles of the Fanti and Guan people of Ghana. The research involved three musical ensembles. Two of them are traditional adzeba groups while the third group is a dance ensemble from Cape Coast. Two main types of Adzewa musical ensembles were identified. Those that use the mfoba (gourd rattles) and dawur (bell) as basic instruments and those that use a drum in addition to the basic instruments. The similarities and differences among adzewa, adzeba and adoba organization and instrumental resources were also discussed.