If talk of dazzling footwork and body swerves takes your mind to
football alone, then see how the Zoblazo king, Meiway from Cote
d’Ivoire, employs those elements on stage when he performs at the
National Theatre tomorrow in a show dubbed the OneTouch Afrika Speaks
concert.

Also featuring at the show which has been put together by Osmo Kwame Addo’s Katamadara Concepts, are rootsman Amandzeba, Glenn Warren, Ghanaba the Divine Drummer, Bibie Brew, A B Crentsil and Obuor, K K Fosu and Orlando Julius.

A prolific composer and exciting performer, Meiway is well-known to international audiences. He has played several times in Ghana and he still moves the crowd whenever he mounts the stage and whips out his white handkerchief.

Always abreast with the times, his ninth solo album which came out last year, taps into Cote d’Ivoire’s current dance trends such as ‘prudencia’ and ‘coupé décalé.’

The other headline act, Amandzeba, is a heavyweight in his own right. His Wogbe song was a massive hit a few years ago and the determination to always incorporate authentic Ghanaian rhythms in his works stands him out as a bold patriot.

Tomorrow’s show, interestingly, takes its name from Ghanaba’s influential 1956 album, Afrika Speaks, America Answers which includes his famous composition, That Happy Feeling.

It sold well around the world and drew massive attention to the ability of African artistes to create world-class music.

Ghanaba will be 85 in May and his profoundly African sound has influenced many younger players, like his drummer son Glenn, who has a new album out and will play pieces from it at the show.

The One Touch Afrika Speaks show is supported by the European Commission (EC) and UNICEF.