Background and performance circumstances

Question 1

Agbekor Dance

Answer 1

is a war dance, which originates with the Ewe people who live on the Atlantic coast of western Africa

Question 2

legend

Answer 2

has it that the inspiration for the dance was Ewe hunters’ stories of monkeys changing into human form to play drums and dance

Question 3

purpose of the music

Answer 3

traditionally the ritualistic purpose of the dance was for warriors to perform to their village before or after battles

Question 4

agbekor translates

Answer 4

into “clear life” and refers to the warrior’s state of mind after conflict

Question 5

nowadays

Answer 5

the Agbekor dance is commonly used at weddings, funerals or as entertainment for tourists

Question 6

no rigid

Answer 6

, formalised structure to the dance, as the music is closely linked to the movements of the dancers

the dancers instinctively respond to any change in the accompaniment

Question 7

agbekor drumming

Answer 7

is an oral tradition

Question 8

the Ewe people

Answer 8

hold skilled drummers in the highest esteem and consider them to have inherited the spirit of their ancestors