John Kwame Osei Korankye, seperewa (traditional harp-lute)

Abena Serwaa Osei Korankye, seperewa and adenkum (gourd calabash)

Christopher Amootornyor, prempensiwa (lamellophone-cajon)

Prince Charles Eghan, percussion

John Kwame Osei Korankye is a prominent figure in the seperewa, the traditional Ghanaian harp, which he began learning from his grandfather. The instrument originated in the North-Sahel region and flourished for centuries among various Akan groups before declining in the early 20th century, marginalized by the rising popularity of the guitar, which spread from the coastal regions during European colonization. Osei Korankye is particularly interested in how instrumental playing styles developed on the west coast of Africa through the seperewa, shaped by the languages, dances, rhythms, and philosophies of the Akans.

The seperewa has long played a significant role in village life. The great Ghanaian ethnomusicologist Kwabena Nketia, as early as 1996, invited Osei Korankye to teach at the University of Ghana, seeing him as the guardian of a tradition at risk of disappearing. Indeed, Osei Korankye is dedicated to keeping his instrument alive, whether through teaching, academic research, performing on stage with renowned musicians and ensembles, or through his innovations (he has added several strings to his seperewa, which originally had fourteen).

The Seperewa Agofoma ensemble features the seperewa, percussion instruments such as prempensiwa, rattles, castanets, adenkum (a type of gourd calabash), bells, and the flute.