The Music of Ammasu

Ammasu Akapoma Group

Buy album  iTunes  Spotify

his is the first of our four albums giving a musical portrait of the Village of Ammasu in the Brong-Ahafu region of Ghana. This first album is on CD and digital and comes with a 28 page booklet with texts and pictures. The completing three albums are digital-only.

The music was recorded during our family’s stay between 1975 and 77 where I was studying drumming as a member of the Ammasu Akapuma Band and Prudence was doing anthropological field work and our two children were busy being children.

The Ammasu Akapoma Band was the hottest funeral band in the region. On these albums you will find ritual and recreational drumming, singing in sorrow and happiness, children’s music, a brass band and more. – Bengt Berger

1. Who Is The Chief - Greeting on Atumpan (0:23)
2. When I Die There Will Be Peace In The House - Aweso (10:11)
3. Proverbs on the Atumpan (1:41)
4. Fontomfrom - The Royal Drums (6:15)
5. The Royal Horn (0:23)
6. You Are So Brave - Funeral Dirge (3:26)
7. My Lover Is Stranded At The Opposite Side of the River - Funeral Dirge (3:04)
8. My Eyes Are Flooded With Tears - Funeral Dirge (1:32)
9. Akapoma (5:32)
10. Let Us Say Goodbye - Kununku (15:32)
11. Denseou (2:57)
12. New Love Is More Than Madness - Love Song (2:20)
13. If I Don't Marry You I'll Feel Embarrased - Love Song (2:34)
14. Nana Yago - Cantata (5:13)
15. Tana Tinana - Cantata (5:05)
16. The Brass Band (9:21)
17. Eggs Are Eggs - Proverb on the Atumpan (0:24)

The Ammasu Akapoma Group featuring Ahenkaan, Kwame Yeboah, Kofi Boanu et al
Children of Ammasu
The local Brass Band

Three more mp3-only albums from Ammasu will be released simultaneously:

cex06 The Music of Ammasu – more drumming
cex07 The Music of Ammasu – more singing
cex08 The Music of Ammasu – analytical drumming

 

Download the CE07 booklet as pdf.
Download a cover for your mp3 download.

Reviews from Songlines and The Wire

“Ammasu – an anthropological narrative” by Prudence Woodford-Berger

Slide shows:
25 Ammasu pictures                                                

From the funeral of the chief of Ammasu, october 2, 2008