Hewale Sounds, an acoustic music ensemble, last Saturday showcased the capabilities of indigenous African Instruments with compositions and re-arrangements of several highlife, blues, jazz and Ghanaian traditional/contemporary tunes.

Performing at a pre-departure concert at Alliance Francaise in Accra, the group delighted the ears of the audience with a combination of atenteben flutes, gonje fiddles, kornorgor, kpanlogo, fontofrom and gome drums that created an atmosphere of an African celebration.

The group further proved the power of traditional African instruments with dramatic exploration into the music of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Salif Keita and Awilo Logoumba. Indeed, it appeared the compositions have been stripped of its flesh thereby leaving only the skeletons.

Earlier, tunes such as Amewuga, Sebewana and Alafia virtually pulled some members of the audience to the dancing floor where diverse variations of Ghanaian traditional dances were freely expressed and exhibited by Africans and Westerners alike.

As the evening wore on, Hewale Sounds took the audience on a long journey that recalled the skills of ancient Ghanaian and African composers with re-arranged rhythms, sounds and beats.

Led by Dela Botri, the group is scheduled to perform next week at the Centre Culturel Francaise in the Beninois capital Cotonou.

Currently based at the W.E.B. Du Bios Memorial Centre in Accra, Hewale Sounds has performed to cheering audiences in Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Jordan, Norway and the United States.

Recently the group performed in Lome, Togo, during the decoration of President Gnassingbe Eyadema as the 'Father Of Peace' by the International Action Service.

Ever since its formation a couple of years ago. Hewale Sounds has been involved in the quest to promote the aunthencity of African music through all kinds of research and improvisations with traditional instruments.

The group has also been organizing workshops for music students and teachers from Europe, the United States and other parts of Africa.

They have collaborated with a number of musicians including the South African musician Sharon Katz and the American star Stevie Wonder, who recently performed at the Accra International Conference Centre.