Entertainment of Monday, 22 October 2018

Source: Isshak Abdullai

Wiyaala takes ‘Ampe’ challenge to London!

Wiyaala playing ampe on stage play videoWiyaala playing ampe on stage

Ghanaian musician, Wiyaala opened the 2018 SOAS Concert season in London with another bravura performance, the 18th of twenty two world tour shows which began with the Commonwealth Games closing celebrations in Australia last April. The young lioness showed her full repertoire of skills to an enthralled audience who packed out the Brunei Gallery in the prestigious SOAS Music School at The University of London.

Athletic dancing, great singing, story telling and superb stagecraft laced with humorous interaction provided the delighted patrons with an absorbing introduction to the culture of Ghana’s Upper West region.

As if that was not enough, Wiyaala invited members of the audience on stage to play the traditional games of Pilolol and Ampe referenced in her song “Siiko”.

During the performance Wiyaala, gave a shout out to Jon Benjamin, the former British High Commissioner to Ghana who was in the audience, thanking him for his support after hearing Wiyaala on BBC’s Global Beats programme in 2014 just before taking up his post in Ghana.

Watch the video here: