Suomo Dance Afrik is a traditional drumming and dancing group formed in the year 2010 by the master drummer Afotey Otu who is a native of Nungua, a Ga-Dangme community located in the southern part of Ghana.
Afotey started his musical career at the age of 16 at the beach when the fishermen were back from fishing and pulling their nets off shore. According to Afotey, the songs and the rhythms sang by the fish-folks were very spiritual and passionate one for that matter. With the knowledge and experience gained from the fish-folks, he joined the TSO KE TSO CULTURAL GROUP and played with them for some time and later joined the TSENE DANCE ENSEMBLE to extend his technical know-how in the drumming and dancing career.
Afotey played with the GBEJELOI CULTURAL TROUP as a renowned master drummer for some years, he became very famous and well noted for his electrifying hands on the traditional drums such as the Gome, Kpanlogo, Atsimevu, Jdembe etc. At the age of 32, the love and the passion that Afotey has gathered pushed him to form his own group called the Suomo Dance Afrik. Suomo in the local language of the Ga-Dangme people of the southern part of Ghana means LOVE, he said ‘’the love, the passion and the energy I saw being used by the fishermen at the beach was amazing’’ These were some of the songs sung by the fishermen at that time 1: (Emami lee maya wuo e’ eko, sukuu e’ maya sukuu atade mawo (3X)
Wuleenyo ji mi ee nohewo mihesee fee esa (3X)
Bon boona, shiboo naya (3X) )
This song explain the fact that they did not go to School like the others and therefore they have ended up being pullers of fishing canoe.
2: (wuleeme ke loo eba ee (2X)
Nyehaa woyaa okwaafoi agnoo woyafa duade ee
Wobaaye fufui oo womiiha nye ahekoo )
Meaning, the fishermen have arrived with fishes (shoal) and so we must also go to the farmers for cassava in order to pound fufu.
Afotey adopted the name SUOMO due to the love he had at the beach.’’ We will use music as a tool to bring the world together with the help of Love” he said.
SUOMO DANCE AFRIK is a very unique drumming and dancing group in terms of workshop and performance, they portray dances from different ethnic groups in Ghana such as: Kpanlogo from the Greater Accra region (Ga-Dangme people), Adzogbo from the Volta region (Ewe), Bawa from the Northern region (Mamprugu), Sekyi from the western region (Akans), Adowa from the Ashante region (Asantes), Apatampa from the Central region (Fantes).
The Nungua based Drumming and dancing group Suomo Dance Afrik has toured and performed in a major festivals like the Arts and Culture Festival at the Nungua Junction Mall, Asafotufiam festival at Ada, the Yeyeeye festival (Twin festival) at Ga – Mashie in Accra, the Tsale wotee festival at James town in Accra and hotels such as Alisa hotel, Best West Plus hotel, Movinpic hotel, La Palm Royal Beach, the Jungles and many more.
Suomo Dance Afrik won the GYE awards as the Best Ghanaian Traditional Music and Dance group of the Year in 2021 and also won the GEBIA awards as the Most Outstanding Ghanaian Folk Music and Dance group of the Year in 2022 back to back. The group now hoping to extend its tentacles across the globe since its main aim is to use drumming and dancing as a tool to bring the world together through LOVE.
