Nora (Xorlarlie) Anyidoho is a lover of words and art. She spends most hours of her day,
making meaning of numbers as a finance professional.
On other days, she loses herself in pen and brush strokes, in attempts to create beauty
Nora (Xorlarlie) Anyidoho
Grace Louise Wood
Grace Louise Wood is a British-Jamaican writer, artist, educator and curator.
She has been living and working in Ghana since 2018, running education programmes
for the UK Government, and writing poetry.
She is an alumnus of Barbican Young Poets, and performed at their poetry showcase in 2013.
Her poems have been published in ‘Human Parts’ on Medium, Drama Queens Ghana COV-19 Zine 2020,
and Tampered Press 5th Issue and 6th Issues in 2021.
She performs her poems at events in Ghana, including ‘The Offering’ at Greenleaf Café Tema,
‘Arts Nkwa’ at The Canvas Accra in 2020, Ehalakasa ‘Talk Party’ in 2021, and the
Tampered Press 6th Issue launch in 2022
Tizaamah
I’m tizaamah.
A student of University of Ghana.
Level 200.
Studying Science in Aministration .
I write and it heals.
Grace Nkrumah-Buandoh
Grace Nkrumah-Buandoh, who performs under the pseudonym Bonkua, is a lover of words and music.
Through her love for reading, she decided to create her own world and started writing short
stories at the age of 8, but entered into the poetry community in 2018 with Ehalakasa.
She is an artistic activist, with a keen interest in addressing issues such as Gender Based
Violence, Rape and Menstrual and Reproductive health as well as Mental Health and General well-being.
She has a passion for volunteering and teaching, and believes that there is an artist screaming in
everyone’s mind.
We just have to listen and scream along with it. She aspires to be a artist who leaves her footprints
on the hearts of wandering souls so they can find their way back home.
Stella Gyimaah Larbi
Stella Gyimaah Larbi is a believer of a new generation of self reliant youngsters and positive changers in the classroom and the world to reduce inequality.
She is a proud Teacher, Trainer. Youngsters and Teachers Development Consultant, Keynote Speaker and a Writer. She is a lover of words and so adores poetry.
Gyimaah is the founder of “Youngsters and Teachers Hub” a non governmental organisation based in Ghana. Her work include teaching, consultancy, training, inspiring sessions, grooming and assisting to create strategies in the area of youngsters and teacher development. She runs “She to go” an innitiative to push women and girls to acquire soft and hard skills to break barriers in all domains.
She believes the foundation of a person is key to future success and everybody can make a change positively when the right values, skills and knowledge are acquired.
Gyimaah’s drive is to help uplift the gift in others; to dedicate fully when need be; To learn and come out with theoretical and practical innovations to change the face of learning.
She authored “Girls’ and Ladies’ Greatness Guide”, “Getting the Grades” and “Beyond Today”.
LAWRENCIA ASAADARE AWINSONGYA
Lawrencia Asaadare Awinsongya is a 4th year student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), offering Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and majoring in Journalism. She has, among many things, acquired skills in
bead making, hair braiding, photography and creative writing.
Miss Awinsongya is a lovely young communicator and results oriented person, very passionate about public speaking and with great awe for innovation. She is an ardent believer of ethical leadership, mental health awareness and advocacy for girl child education.
Lawrencia is currently a Mastercard foundation scholar at CAMFED. She also served as the assistant Girls Prefect in Gowrie Senior High School in Bolgatanga.
Miss Awinsongya holds in high esteem the willingness to give back to the society. As such, she has volunteered in helping young girls transition from Senior High School into tertiary institutions or into trades. She has also participated in
sensitization and conscientization programmes.
She took part and excelled in the 3rd Edition of the Kasanufo Public Speaking Training and Contest in 2021.
Lawrencia Asaadare dreams of becoming a renowned Journalist, Author and Public Speaker. She also dreams of creating a safe space for teens and youth going through issues with mental health to help them fight through.
ZOOM TALK PARTY REVIEW Friday, January 14, 2022
Artist Profile
“We don’t smile because we are happy but we are happy because we smile.” Born Eastwind-Blessman Al-Jewellace Bhryte Mann Kobina Ebo Diamond and known as Diamond King-Speaks, one-third of the trio spokenword Kings. Started writing at age thirteen since Junior High School and has since evolved and matured greatly. Most popular pieces being “The B.e.a.utiful Woman” series and in most recent times, giving his audience tragic stories from his upcoming project known as “Broken Bottles”.
Party Time
Diamond recounts how he saw a video many years ago that intrigued him, but he didn’t understand the contents until his big brother came from the university and explained that it was a spokenword video and introduced him to the concept. Though he has been writing since age 13, he started doing poetry in 2014 after he attended a couple of poetry shows, including EHALAKASA, and other slams. Diamond also listens to and watches other artists while working on himself.
Storyteller is how he describes himself, rather than a rhythmic poet or spokenword artist and this is evident in his style of writing and performance. Diamond writes very captivating pieces and believes recitals are great, however, stories are more relatable and people can feel the emotions.
Starting off with “Breaks my heart to tell you I love you”, then “Tragic”, it was a party filled with sadness and heartbreaks; one for the ‘sad boys’. For our open mic session, Ethelyn Echep chipped in with a musical interlude. Her silky smooth, yet powerful voice served us “You are who you are”. After, the guest act of the day kept everyone’s attention with a “15-year-old marriage without a child” story and a sad “emergency wedding”.
For his last piece, Diamond called for three random words: seed, uniqueness, shadow. He produced such a mesmerizing piece!
In conclusion, the captivating storyteller hinted that he would engage in more studio work this year, and he is already working on his project “BROKEN BOTTLES”.
The Longed for Trip
Originally Posted On April 12, 2021, By thatTonguGirl
Right from when I received the warmest embrace into the Ehalakasa Family, I’ve been bathed with memories of their events and escapades. One of such memories was their occasional trips to Haduwa Arts and Culture Institute in Apam, Ghana. Just so you know, Haduwa is a serene haven not only for the family, but also all local, national and international artists. It has become a safe space for artists to connect with nature, create artistic works, improve their spirituality and most importantly rediscover themselves.
Now would you not agree that a memory such as this one can only be lived and not told? Mm hmm…I began to wait patiently for a date to be set for the next trip. Plans were advanced for the trip to happen immediately after our “2019 Environwomental Slum” on Climate Change and Action. But lo and behold 2020 had different plans for us all.
It did not only take from us our freedom to move but also our freedom to converge. Amidst that, I had hope, loads of hope. After all, it was what we were left with. The hope that things would go back to what they used to be. But like you, the wait became exceptionally longer than I had imagined.
And so, our physical world gradually merged with the virtual world. With technology at the centre of it all, we began to develop a transformative mind towards our creative arts. This is our new normal.
Good things, they say, come to those who wait but it’s sweeter when you least expect them.
The timing I would say was right. April 2021…hmm just perfect. I love to travel a lot. But for a long while I have not been able to do so. Well, this Tongu girl just got to plan it well and make it worthwhile. A journey that would be worth reminiscing with a broad smile.
Oops…let us anti-clock to what Ehalakasa is all about.
First of all, it is an acronym composed from three Ghanaian languages – thus Ewe, Ga and Twi. Eha means Song in Ewe. La means Sing in Ga and Kasa means Speak or Talk in Twi. Now that we understand the meaning of the name Ehalakasa, let me tell you what it is.
Ehalakasa is a community of artists with diverse arts. Right from Poets to Writers, Storytellers, Spoken word performers, Acoustic musicians, Choreographers, Painters, and the list goes on. The community’s goal is to awaken, inspire, and challenge artists to utilize the different art forms to advocate and address social, economic, cultural and political issues while projecting the values of Ghana. Their projects and activities comprise but not limited to the Ehalakasa Talkparty, the Ehalakasa Annual Slum and the Ehalakasa Senior High School Workshops.
Well, let me peg it there and bring you back to where we left off.
I had my clothes well pressed and baggage all packed for the Ehalakasa weekend getaway. Like I always do, I never forgot to add to my baggage a locally-made snack called, “Akatsi Kpɔnɔ” a biscuit made from starch by the people of Akatsi – a town in the Volta Region.
Saturday morning flooded my phone with series of missed calls from fellow Ehalakasaians. At about 8:45am I found myself waiting comfortably in a Mercedes Benz Sprinter minibus set for Takoradi to get full. Little did I know I was going to be the last person to arrive at Atlantic Beach Resort in Mumford.
I know my people never disappoint. At least not when Akambo, Nii Muzick and Faiba Bernard are around. I arrived in a pool of Eha, La and Kasa. But as an adage in my local dialect says,
“Ha dɔme ɖewo sena hafi ha kuna ati wo ke”
which translates, the belly of the pig must be strong in order for it to dig the root of a tree; I made sure I stuffed my belly with a ball of Kenkey and some fried fishes in the company of Bonkua The FanteGirl.
But as nature would have it, we still could not join the welcoming creative train. Hahahahaa…we got all drowsy and weak after the meal. And bed at that moment looked like one sexually attractive being to lay on.
Poof….we thought wrong. All those creative minds alighted from that creative train and bumped into our world before we could dare dream. They cunningly knitted the idea of a quality time at the beach into our stressed brains and got us joining that escapade. One we never regretted when all was said and done.
The beach was empty and very peaceful. The basin of the water compared to that of Accra was very clean. No plastic waste, no human debris, no harm in any form to the Sea. It was really refreshing to have the waves kiss my feet in absolute admiration without a piece of polythene greeting me. Once again, she sparked ablaze the love I almost forgot I had for her. I did not know I missed her that much. This got me writing a few words in memory to the reunion.
Dear Sea,
Words are not enough to narrate that which gets brewed in my bosom whenever your gentle waves rub my invincible hairs wet.
How could I not tell of your coarsely fine bed cushioning the soles of my feet every time I firmly lay them bare?
How could I not tell of the enriching sensation that bubbles up my groin? One that transfuses molten signals of need for your piercing chill and warmth all at the same time.
Sad as it might sound, the sight of you is a constant reminder of my inability to stylishly let go of myself under your rolling sheets.
Till we meet another time, hold on to this memory of us.
Your love,
Adzovi Sika.
Did I get you drenched in the letter? Aww…sorry about that.
Anyway, the quality time promised overflowed with several memories captured in frames. When the curtains finally drew over the Sky’s giant, we had Banku with grounded pepper and fried fish to console our bellies.
But you see, it can never be the last song for Ehalakasaians under a summer hut. Soon, we engaged in a game of cards. A game filled with deceit, doubt, disappointment, truth, confidence, and hope. This we played for several hours and had the best of laughter. One we graciously did in different tones and rhythms.
But when the drumbeats of sleep sounded, one after the other our feet guided us to our rooms, where the breezy night handed us to a sunny Sunday. Breakfast we had in the spirit of communism.
Although we were unable to visit Haduwa due to our short stay, Sir Black aided in paving way for our artistic selves to blurt out through series of brain games. This actually got me appreciating what we had before Covid-19 made its grand debut on this theatrical stage of life.
Two different teams playing it out on names of living Presidents in the world.
A trip I so longed for came after all. And now that I’ve shared with you the memory, don’t hold back to live it yourself.
Let us keep hoping and living one day at a time.
Xoxo.
Mawuli School Wins Maiden Inter-Schools Poetry Competition
BY: Vivian Dzoboku | voltaonlinegh.com |
Mawuli School has emerged champions of the first-ever Poetry Competition organized for Senior High Schools in the Ho Municipality to commemorate this year’s World Poetry Day.
The competition dubbed “Ehalakasa Senior High School Poetry Slam Competition” was an initiative of Ehalakasa in partnership with Goethe Institut, Ghana Library Authority, and the Ghana Education Service.
A total of five schools, namely, Sokode Senior High Technical School, OLA Senior High School, Mawuli School, Taviefe Senior High, and Mawuko Girls Senior High participated in the competition held at the Ho Municipal Assembly Hall on Friday, March 19, 2021.
After three rounds of keen contest, Mawuli School emerged winner with 76 points, OLA Senior High came second with 73 points and Mawuko Girls secured the third spot with 71 points.
They were presented with cash prizes of Three Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH₵300), Two Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH₵200) and One Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH₵100) respectively, in addition to a plague each and sets of branded T-shirts. All the participating schools were awarded certificates of participation.
UNESCO first adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.
The Organizer at Ehalakasa, Yibor Kojo Yibor alias Sir Black, speaking at the event, noted that, the competition did not only showcase the poetry talent of participants but also boosted their confidence level in public speaking. “Poetry as an art helps us to mature, think, expand, and gather information as well as research for information,” he added.
He thus entreated teachers to continue to nurture the interest of students in poetry, noting “this is the only way to project the Ghanaian culture and values”, likewise he called on stakeholders in the region to support the arts industry for what has been started to continue. `
The Head of Library and Information at Goethe Institut Ghana, Mad. Meli Eyram Portia Mansu, said the aim of decentralizing the initiative to the regions has been justified by the high level enthusiasm exhibited by the students during the competition, and called on stakeholders especially GES to sustain the initiative as part of promoting the region and Africa Literature.
The Volta Regional Librarian, Mr. Guy Amarteifio, in an address expressed gratitude to the organizers for pioneering the first ever poetry competition in the region, as he expressed optimism that, the idea to arouse the poetry interest in students and people in the region will not be truncated but rather turned into a daily activity in order to revive and sustain poetry in the region.
He also noted the Ghana Library Authority has launched the Ghana Library App to stimulate reading interest among the public, including school children.
A representative of the Regional Director of Education, Mr. Eric Kofi Gamadeku who also doubled as the chairman at the event in his remarks thanked the organizers of the competition and commended both the teachers and students for preparing in such a short notice and suggested the use of literary devices in the subsequent competitions.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
The Son Of Africa; Of Skins and many things beyond Words and Music
Well woven with fine threads of words to address the patterns of the African fabric, The._.Observer has done more than just his name sake. He focuses on the existent and pertinent elixirs of problems brewing continuously in the African pot.
He seeks to revisit these problems with subtle solutions that can muster such boldness on their own. From one mouth to the other, this piece of work can be described most accurately as a body of astute young wisdom and mastery of penmanship.
From ‘we are one people’ all through’ Africa54′, the listener is taken on an unending journey of life, poetry, music and a continues revival in rhythm and pattern, in soul and spirit, to awaken the African in him or her.
It’s no surprise that the collection has the master craftman himself, Nana Asaase; little wonder that Jo Nketia and Fawash, both from a female narrative, covered the expanse of true African voices.
The artistry and showmanship of Eli 360, and Ebo resonate throughout the pulse of this artwork. This sort of completeness in any poetry collection is unparalleled.
This is not something I should define in letters or paragraphs. This is what would demand an experience. And for a first collection, this is something really worth every ounce of your time.
And time, if you have any, should be used buying every bit of words and music from ‘The-Son-Of-Africa’.
The Observer set to release His Debut Album
From the heart of Adenta, a suburb of Accra, Ghana, a poet rises to defy all odds in order to stamp his feet and leave an indelible mark in the industry.
His name? The observer.
With a blend of lyrical deftness and entertaining delivery, he makes spoken word poetry appealing to the masses.
For three years, the Observer has been working on an Album titled “Son of Africa”.
According to him, “Son of Africa” is a journey that portrays the realities of the African dream, how far it has come and how it should go. The everyday life of an African youth is captured in each piece.
Reflecting his thoughts and the various conversations he’s had with friends and strangers, he believes the fears, worries, pains and joys of a regular African is represented.
“Son of Africa” has some notable features such as one of Ghana’s biggest spoken word poetry acts, Nana Asaase, revered poet, Jo Nketia and writer, Ebo Hinson who blessed the project with their masterclass. For a blend of more Africanism, it also has the feminine voice from Kenya, Fawash whose soothing tone brings in more magic.
[ai_playlist id=”2879″]
Son of Africa is available on all music platforms.
Son of Africa by The._.observer
https://deezer.page.link/1r8X3TwmZQjdY1DA7