Transforming Traditional Music in the Midst of Contemporary Change: The Survival of Cultural Troupes in Accra, Ghana

This paper is an extension of my research of neo-traditional music ensembles, called cultural troupes, in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, during the spring of 2007. In recent years, due to shifting cultural, political, and social climates, new technology, growing urban populations, and rapid globalization, Ghanaian musicians are in the process of developing new musical traditions that reflect and shape change in Ghana. Through analysis of four cultural troupes in Accra, the Ghanaian National Dance Ensemble, and the development of neo-traditional, recreational, and popular music styles, I explore the shifting dynamics of Ghanaian contemporary music. I also present strategies that Ghanaian musicians are employing to incorporate traditional music into a contemporary context. I conclude that traditional music is dynamic and Ghanaians are currently and have always adapted their musical traditions to both reflect and shape cultural change.