Drink in Palm wine music
Palm wine music has held firm against its racier rivals, discovers Sarah Jones
Palm wine music is known for its complex percussive rhythms, gentle guitar and entertaining storytelling. It is sure to get you swaying as you kick back with a glass of something - perhaps the milky, tropical brew from which its name is derived. But just like the palm itself, this musical genre has survived by bending and flexing in the face of change.
The origins of palm wine music can be traced to the early 1900s when the Kru people, who fiercely resisted slavery, were employed as crewmates for European sailors. They passed the time at sea by playing instruments owned by the Europeans - most notably the guitar. When they arrived in Ghana and mixed with the Fante people, their diverse musical influences merged into a new genre, osibisaaba. This was a combination of guitar, concertina and harmonica.
The men also enjoyed drinking in the local bars along the coast and teaching the locals the distinctive chords and newly acquired two-fingered plucking style. In exchange, they learned sea shanties, which began a tradition of storytelling to music. In the 1920s, a Kru seaman taught Ghanaian guitarist Kwame Asare this new technique, palm wine, was truly born. A celebrated and experimental musician, his band, The Kumasi Trio, created the first-ever palm wine music album from a performance at Kingsway Hall in London.
Meanwhile, the elite who had chosen to settle in Ghana, paid expensive entrance fees to attend formal dances which were stiff and starchy affairs. So when bands such as Jazz Kings wove new rhythms into their music, guests were delighted to be able to cut loose a little on the dance floor. This was known as ‘Highlife’ - jazz and swing fused with African rhythms.
The end of the Second World War brought another new variant - known as big band highlife - a mixture of the jazz and swing brought over the water by soldiers stationed in Ghana coupled with palm wine influences. Key to its success was the talented musician E.T. Mensah who breathed new life into the genre.
Against a tide of new musical trends, palm wine music has always resolutely held its ground in Ghana. The storytelling element of the genre particularly resonates with a country proud to celebrate its heritage and independence. Perhaps this in part explains its resurgence through recent artists.
One pivotal musician is Koo Nimo who used a traditional Ashanti palm wine ensemble and told stories through his songs. In 1990 his work was believed to be the first by a Ghanaian artist to be put on CD. His music can still be heard in some of the gentler bars in Accra.
Multi-award-winning Kwan Pa is a vibrant, joyful indigenous band that celebrates African music. It keeps palm wine music at its core but experiments with influences such as Highlife and adowa rhythms. Band members use a range of traditional percussion instruments, such as Seperewa, the Ghanaian harp-lute. Their work bursts with energy and enthusiasm. The ‘Christmas Jama’ is a cheery addition to anybody’s festive playlist.
Equally exhilarating is Kyekyeku, who blends Highlife and Afrofunk in music pulsating with energy. Through his music, he celebrates Ghana’s musical heritage and storytelling background whilst making his themes and music current for a younger generation.
If this has whet your appetite, head to any number of local bars to enjoy some live music and enjoy the uniquely African rhythms. You can even still sample a glass of palm wine music to help you loosen up at The Republic Bar. But nobody will judge you if you stick to a beer.
