GH women strike up the beat
Though their roles in music have often been confined to singing, women have been playing instruments in jazz, rock, reggae, highlife, blues, gospel and other genres for a long time.
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American women like Melba Liston (trombone), Alicia Keys (piano) and Meshell Ndegeocello (bass) as well as Japanese Toshiko Ayikoshi (piano) and British Joan Armatrading (guitar) are just a few of the women instrumentalists hailed across the world for their commitment to musicianship.
Across Africa, the thumbs up have been given to female instrumentalists including Manou Gallo from Cote d’Ivoire (bass), Siya Makuzeni from South Africa (trombone) and Zimbabwean Stella Chiwese (mbira).
Locally, it was when singer Della Hayes came out in 2009 with her all-female Dzesi band that people started paying more attention to women instrumentalists.
It was a nine-piece band that played at several high-profile gigs and also featured at festivals in the sub-region.
Before then, however, Asabea Cropper was known for her singing as well as playing of the soprano saxophone. Singers Bernice Offei, Ewurama Badu also accompanied themselves on guitar.
There are now two all-female bands in the country and they both get gigs, an indication that music lovers appreciate their confidence and competence on the various instruments.
Though majority of instrumentalists across the genres are still men, women instrumentalists will always be around with their unique flair.
