Traditional Song Kpanlongo

Kpanlongo is the most recent of all Ga recreational musical types, an offshoot of Gome, Oge, Kolomashie, and Konkoma. Referred to as "the dance of the youth,” Kpanlongo started during the wake of Ghana’s Independence as a musical type for entertainment in Accra. Kpanlongo is presently performed at life-cycle events, festivals, and political rallies.

Instruments

Slit Bell 

Double Bell

Pod Bell 

Lead Drum 

Support Drums 

Frame Drums

Bass Drum

The Kpanlogo dance was invented by Otoo Lincoln. He was told an Ananse folk story by his Grandfather. Kpanlogo, Mma Mma and Algodzan were the names of three triplets girls. Their father was the chief and said, who ever could guess their names could marry them. So a man went to their home pretending to be a mad man asking for water, he met the girls and learnt their names as they called to each other. To remember them he kept singing to himself ‘Kp. Mma. Al.’ And of course he married the girls. Otoo heard the story in 1956 when he was 15. He used to tell it dancing and singing to his brothers and sisters, a friend used to drum along as they liked the music and dance and we created our own version of highlife around 1962. The feeling of the music originated from music played by his father from Oge , Liberian music a sort of slow kpanlogo. He mixed this Oge with high life and rock and roll to produce the feeling in Kpanlogo.

In 1962 the Arts Council, banned its playing as one of the beats made the body move in an indecent way. They called Otoo in for a meeting. By 1965 Kpanlogo had become so popular that 50+ groups performed it to the head of State, Kwame Nkrumah.

Kpanlogo was seen as a dance from the youth, arising from the streets of Accra soon after Ghana’s independence, and symbolized the youth and independence of a young nation and so was taken on and played at funerals, state occasions and became an anthem for the ruling party at the time. Up to now its popularity remains hit. There are countless Kpanlogo performing groups, playing for pleasure and at all social and state occasion.

Story by Issabella Harrison