"Come and help me bring the traditional drumming of the EWE people of Ghana to Melbourne. Remember EWE people use their traditional drums to bring the community together as one. So please let's come together as one family through the power of the drum."

~ Kofi Kunkpe

Join master Ewe drummer Kofi Kunkpe for an immersion in the drumming and percussion tradition of Eastern Ghana. During this two-hour class, Kofi will introduce the fascinating and beautiful system of Ewe drumming using the five traditional drums of his lineage - the Sogo, Atsimevu, Kaganu, Kloboto and Kidi. He will help us find our groove within this unique ensemble music, and experience polyrhythm like never before. All drums will be provided.

ABOUT KOFI KUNKPE

Kofi Kunkpe is an Ewe master drummer from the Volta Region of Ghana, now based in the Yarra Valley. He is passionate about the maintenance of traditional culture in helping to improve the lives of the people of Ghana.

As a child Kofi studied a wide range of musical instruments at Peter King College of Music in Elobo, Nigeria. At the age of 16, he returned to Ghana to study traditional drumming and dance with Agoro Theatre Company, based in Cape Coast. He became a professional member of the group two years later, in 1998. Working with Agoro, Kofi travelled throughout Ghana and to Burkina Faso, promoting, performing and teaching Ghana’s traditional dance and drumming forms.

Since this time Kofi has performed and taught with a wide variety of local and international companies including Asanti Dance Theatre (Ghana/Australia), African Footprints International (Ghana) and Wild Moves International (Australia). He has also worked with the Anansi Travel NGO (USA) as their djembe instructor, and with the Freespirit Foundation (Poland) as Performing Arts Manager, teaching traditional performing arts forms to disadvantaged children from the Volta region.

Since arriving in Australia, Kofi has performed and taught extensively throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. He conducts regular classes in his hometown of Warburton and works as a percussionist with many of Melbourne's best African performers.

Listen to some of Kofi's music through his Soundcloud channel:

https://soundcloud.com/kofi-kunkpe/sets/traditional-african-percussion?si=57db837e6ee044af93dc96b5c8e5bfb1&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing