• Home
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
Kwesi News
Advertisement
No Result
View All Result
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

No products in the cart.

  • Home
  • World
    • News
    • Business
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
  • Kwesi Owusu – Notes From My Life Story
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Trends
    • Travel
  • Footprints
    • Books
    • Films
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Poetics
    • Extracts
    • Articles
  • Artworld
  • Magazine
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Music
      • Wulomei Returns
      • Best Of Wulomei
      • African Dawn
    • Cart
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • World
    • News
    • Business
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
  • Kwesi Owusu – Notes From My Life Story
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Trends
    • Travel
  • Footprints
    • Books
    • Films
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Poetics
    • Extracts
    • Articles
  • Artworld
  • Magazine
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Music
      • Wulomei Returns
      • Best Of Wulomei
      • African Dawn
    • Cart
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Kwesi News
No Result
View All Result
Home Footprints Music

Ghanaian musical heroes who re-discovered “Fontomfrom”

by Kwesi Owusu
December 17, 2021
in Music, Slide Stories
Reading Time: 2 mins read
6
63
VIEWS
Share on WhatsAppShare on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on TelegramlinkedInPinterest

From Highlife heroes like Mac Tontoh to Hiplife rappers like Kwaw Kese, Obrafour, and Lord Kenya, and Rockstone, Ghanaian musicians re-discovered and popularised the powerful idiom of traditional poetry rooted in the Fontomfrom.

What is Fontomfrom?
Most African drums are loosely called  “Talking drums” but Fontomfrom is special in the way it functions as a medium of communication.  Much bigger in size than most drums, language was inscribed in the varied beats a drummer makes. The beats are coded language that can be interpreted word for word, syllable for syllable by people who know and understand drum language.  Linguists were trained and played a key role. Officially, they acted as court messengers but they were also great orators and poets in their own right.

In pre-colonial Asante durbars, the language of Fontomfrom was socially taught and therefore so widespread that public debates could be conducted, disputes, matters of war and peace decided on through drumming and the varying interpretations of dancers. That was a key purpose of durbars.

Worked like the telephone
Fontomfrom could also send messages across considerable distances. Like telephone, except that instead of metal wires, sound waves are transmitted over distances by a relay system of drums. A drummer or group of drummers would receive the drum beats at point A, decode and transmit them to Point B – the next location –  till the message reaches its destination.

Faded out
The great tradition faded during the colonial period but it is practised today in various guises at traditional durbars and some ceremonial occasions.
Sadly, Fontomfrom no longer functions with its wide-ranging attributes. Appellations and incantations are stil course popular.
Atukwei Okine and other leading Ghanaian poets alluded to the powerful role of the Okyeame, the traditional linguist. A great example in our post-independence era is Okyeame Akuffo, the official linguist of Parliament in the First Republic.

 Hiplife irony

Some rappers, thinking they were following American icons made the language of Fontomfrom popular again, reclaiming in the process what came naturally to most of our musical heroes.

FonTomFrom: Contemporary Ghanaian Literature, Theatre and Film
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=FonTomFrom%3A+Contemporary+Ghanaian+Literature%2C+Theatre+and+Film&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Previous Post

Ghana’s environment and health

Next Post

Creatives Blast off 2022

Comments 6

  1. Pingback: Highlife is Ghana’s Musical Soul. Like Reggae and Rhumba, it must now be recognised as World Heritage Music - Kwesi News
  2. Anonymous says:
    2 months ago

    hi!,I like your writing very much! share we communicate more about your post on AOL? I require an expert on this area to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Looking forward to see you.

    Reply
    • Kwesi Owusu says:
      2 weeks ago

      Thanks. Much appreciated.

      You can contact me at kwesiowusu2@yahoo.co.uk

      Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    3 weeks ago

    Very efficiently written story. It will be helpful to anyone who utilizes it, including me. Keep doing what you are doing – can’r wait to read more posts.

    Reply
    • Kwesi Owusu says:
      2 weeks ago

      Much appreciated. More coming up lol!

      Reply
  4. Anonymous says:
    2 days ago

    Keep this going please, great job!

    Have a look at my webpage houston junk car

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Listen & Download African Dawn Remix Listen & Download African Dawn Remix Listen & Download African Dawn Remix
No Result
View All Result

Browse by Category

Most Popular

  • The Incredible Story of Doris Appiah  – Danquah

    The Incredible Story of Doris Appiah – Danquah

    329 shares
    Share 132 Tweet 82
  • 10 TOP HIGHLIFE HITS

    111 shares
    Share 44 Tweet 28
  • Highlife is Ghana’s Musical Soul

    99 shares
    Share 40 Tweet 25
  • Terry Bonchaka – The Tragic Death of a Star

    63 shares
    Share 25 Tweet 16
  • Kwesi Owusu – Notes From My Life Story

    51 shares
    Share 20 Tweet 13
  • Every Ghanaian is Charlie Chaplin

    39 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Etika – Ghana’s YouTube Genius Committed Suicide

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10
  • NANA TSIBOE : TRIBUTE TO A MASTER DRUMMER AND RELUCTANT GENIUS

    34 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9
  • Fela Kuti invented Afro Beat in Ghana. Tony Allen testifies.

    33 shares
    Share 13 Tweet 8
  • You’re Invited To Lunch – Main Course – Apem and Kontomire with slices of Avocado ❤️🇬🇭

    32 shares
    Share 13 Tweet 8

Latest News

NANA TSIBOE : TRIBUTE TO A MASTER DRUMMER AND RELUCTANT GENIUS

NANA TSIBOE : TRIBUTE TO A MASTER DRUMMER AND RELUCTANT GENIUS

May 25, 2022
RIP AUNTIE CARO KWATEIKAI GWIRA

RIP AUNTIE CARO KWATEIKAI GWIRA

May 4, 2022
Tyson gets emotional about Ali

Tyson gets emotional about Ali

February 19, 2022
UPGRADE YOUR FACE MASK

UPGRADE YOUR FACE MASK

January 17, 2022
Trail of African bling reveals 50,000-year-old social network

Trail of African bling reveals 50,000-year-old social network

January 16, 2022
Dr Letitia Obeng honoured with a plaque at Liverpool’s newest hotel

Dr Letitia Obeng honoured with a plaque at Liverpool’s newest hotel

January 12, 2022
Meet The Woman Behind The Iconic “Woman Stepping Into The New Year” Artwork

Meet The Woman Behind The Iconic “Woman Stepping Into The New Year” Artwork

January 10, 2022
DORIS IS FREE AT LAST 😭

DORIS IS FREE AT LAST 😭

January 1, 2022
BOB MARLEY – “My richness is life forever”

BOB MARLEY – “My richness is life forever”

January 1, 2022
Creatives Blast off 2022

Creatives Blast off 2022

January 1, 2022
My fascination with the creative imagination derives from its power to evoke truth and beauty in our tireless search for change

Quick Links

  • Home
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Artworld
  • Contact

Shop

  • Shop
  • African Dawn
  • Wulomei Returns
  • Best Of Wulomei
  • Cart

© 2021 kwesinews.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

© 2021 kwesinews.com

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

error: Content is protected !!
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?