The rich cultural heritage of Ghana’s Volta Region took centre stage at the University of North Texas as Chief Tanko, Volta Regional representative on the Council of State, Dr. Gabriel Tanko Kwamigah-Atokple also known by his traditional title as Togbui Nyaxorladeakorla joined renowned Ghanaian traditional musician and percussion professor, Professor Gideon Alorwoyie, for a memorable cultural exchange with students.
The encounter, which brought Ghanaian traditional music, history and contemporary cultural advocacy together, saw Chief Tanko participate in a practical drumming session and demonstrate his own drumming skills while engaging students who were being taught traditional percussion by Prof. Alorwoyie.
Chief Tanko, who was a guest lecturer in the class, used the opportunity to explain the historical and cultural significance of Ghanaian drums and their role in traditional society.
He told the students that drums were not merely musical instruments to Ghana’s forebears but also served as important tools of communication, mobilisation and community defence, particularly during periods of conflict and war.
He further explained that the various drums, from the smallest to the largest, carry distinct meanings, functions and spiritual undertones within traditional Ghanaian society.
Chief Tanko also encouraged the students and cultural practitioners to look beyond the preservation of traditional music and dance and explore ways of turning Ghana’s rich cultural heritage into sustainable economic opportunities.
According to him, modern society presents opportunities to leverage and monetise cultural music and dance, while still preserving their historical identity and authenticity.
The occasion was made even more significant by the presence of Prof. Gideon Alorwoyie, affectionately known as Midawo Foli, a distinguished Ghanaian traditional musician, dancer, choreographer and professor of percussion.
Prof. Alorwoyie, who hails from Anlo-Afiadenyigba in Ghana’s Volta Region, is widely regarded as one of the country’s foremost virtuosos of traditional music and dance.
His remarkable journey in music reportedly began after he was discovered by the late Hon. Phillip Gbeho, then Head of the Institute of Art and Culture in Ghana, during the annual Hogbetsotso Festival. Impressed by the young musician’s talent, Gbeho offered him a position at the Institute of Art and Culture in 1964.
Between 1967 and 1984, Prof. Alorwoyie worked in the Department of African Studies at the University of Ghana as Chief Master Drummer of the Ghana National Dance Ensemble. During his illustrious career with the ensemble, he developed expertise in performing music from different cultures and toured several parts of the world, including France, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Switzerland, the former USSR, Yugoslavia, the Caribbean, Seoul, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Krakow in Poland and the United States.
He subsequently held academic and artistic positions at the State University of New York College at Brockport, the American Conservatory of Music and the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, before joining the faculty of the University of North Texas.
Prof. Alorwoyie has now spent about three decades at the University of North Texas, where he continues to teach percussion and pass on his extensive knowledge of African and traditional music to a new generation.
For Chief Tanko, witnessing the venerable professor still actively teaching and demonstrating traditional music to students thousands of miles from Ghana was a particularly moving experience.
The encounter served as a powerful reminder of the global reach of Ghanaian culture and the important role of cultural custodians and educators in ensuring that traditional knowledge survives across generations and borders.
Adding further significance to Prof. Alorwoyie’s illustrious career is his traditional leadership role in Ghana. He has been installed as the Paramount Chief of the Tsiyinu-Afegame/Afife Traditional Area in the Volta Region, under the stool name Togbui Foli Amanyo III, Dufia of Tsiyinu/Afife.
The meeting between Chief Tanko and Togbui Foli Amanyo III therefore represented more than a classroom encounter. It was a meeting of culture, history, leadership and education — with Ghanaian traditional drumming serving as the bridge between generations and continents.
Chief Tanko’s spontaneous display of drumming skills in the United States also provided a striking illustration that Ghanaian cultural heritage remains vibrant, relevant and capable of commanding attention on the global stage.
