The all-female brass band, a group of Ada women residing either in the community or elsewhere, took center stage at the 2024 Asafotufiami Festival with their splendid performances.

The masterly drumming of the women sparked ecstasy among the crowd, who could not help but sway their bodies and tap their feet to the beats amidst applause.

Elizabeth Tete Mensah, one of the ladies from the Accra Number One Branch Band, said the all-female brass band had been a special feature of the Asafotufiami over the years.

It was to ignite joy and sustain people’s interest during the festival, noted as one of the activities that mostly drew people to the celebration, she said. Mrs. Mensah said she was initiated into the group by her mother and had played for over 30 years, adding that she had also introduced her children to it.

Alexandra Katey Nartey, the Financial Secretary of the Takoradi Branch Band, said drumming had been a male-dominated art, but the Ada female indige

nes had been trained to break the norm. The women’s presence in the group gave it a different dimension; they were phenomenal and captivated the crowd while promoting women’s participation in brass band music, he said.

Previously, he said the band constituted only the elderly in society, but as time went by, they decided to involve the youth to tap into their energy and creativity in playing. “The youth were also added as a way of getting them to come back to their roots and contribute to their community’s development,” he said.

“I was born in Kumasi; initially, I was not comfortable visiting my hometown. It took some courage, and upon coming, I’ve realized that my knowledge regarding our traditions has improved and I’m speaking our language better.”