Dancer / Musician / Choreographer / Producer

Adjei was a principal dancer and choreographer with The Ghana Dance Ensemble for 11 years. In addition to dancing, he is an accomplished musician and composer. He plays a number of traditional African Instruments including the flute, xylophone, bass marimba, and drums. Adjei now lives in Boulder where he teaches dance, music, composes for, and performs with his band Charlie Sounds. Adjei teaches dance classes at Streetside Studio, and performs and choreographs for the Blue Moon modern dance performance company, in Boulder.

Adjei is the co-producer and co-founder of the BaoBao Festival. BaoBao Festival, a Colorado non-profit organization, based in Boulder, is dedicated to building community through multi-cultural experiences in the performing arts.

Playwright / Dancer / Storyteller

Akramah Cofie is the author of many of the BaoBao Festival stories, including this year’s story. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 1996 as a Theatre studies (Dance) Major. Since then, he has distinguished himself as a total performing artist; dancing, singing and acting with the same level of excellence. He has featured in a number of Ghanaian movies and landmark stage productions. He is also a poet and aspiring novelist. He has written and told children stories around some school s in Maryland, Vermont and the New York city area.

Drummer

In 1993 Charles became a member of the National Dance Company of Ghana and within two years he rose to become an Assistant Master Drummer.  His work has taken him to Europe, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, South Korea and the U.S.  He now works with Obo Addy’s Okropong in Portland, Oregon.

Dancer / Singer

Comfort Tetteh has been dancing since 1984.  She started with a group known as ‘Ballet’ based at the Ghana Arts Center in Accra.  She joined the ‘Nileloi’ Cultural troupe, also based in Accra, in 1990 as a lead singer.  Connie’s amazing dancing and singing talents caught the attention of the handlers of the prestigious Ghana Dance Ensemble based at the University of Ghana, Legon.  In 1992, they employed her as a principal dancer.  Connie has performed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Africa and Botswana.  She has also taught and performed in various parts of the United States.

Dancer / Singer

Edi studied dance and music at the University of Ghana and later joined the Ghana Dance Ensemble. Edi is now the Director of a drum and dance company appearing in Madison called, Atimevu Drum and Dance Ensemble.

Dancer / Singer

Yesutor was a principal dancer at the Center for National Culture in Ghana. She later joined a Senegalese dance group based in Spain. In 1998 she was invited as a guest artist by Syracuse University in New York where she continues to teach dance.

Choreographer / Dancer / Musician / Costume Designer

Habib Iddrisu, PhD, teaches at Reed College in Oregon. He has both his M.A. and B.A. degrees in African History and Africana Studies from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Habib was born into a well known family of court historians and musicians in Northern Ghana. As child he was inspired by his grandfather and great uncles, both famous musicians. As a teenager he learned traditional music and dances from a variety of ethnic groups in Ghana, including: the Ewe, Ga, Akan, Fon, Malinke, Baga and Mossi. In 1993, Habib won an award as Ghana’s Best Dancer. His work in Ghana is remembered for his leadership of the Novisi Dance group, Bomukasa Dance group and choreographer at-large in Ayawaso and Arts Center areas in Accra.

Drummer / Singer

Mohammed grew up in the Dagoma Village in Northern Ghana. The Dagoma village is known for developing the Talking Drum. From an early age he learned how to build and play the Talking Drum. For over five years Alidu expressed his amazing talents as a drummer with the Ghana Dance Ensemble. Alidu joins the festival from London where he is now master drummer with Adzido, a West Africa Dance Company.

Choreographer / Dancer / Musician

Nana Yaw Asumin’s passion for music and dance took off with the Novisi Dance Group in Ghana under the leadership of Habib Chester Iddrisu. His talent and passion for music, dance and acting led him to lead renowned groups like the Folkloric Dance Company – the resident theater company of the Center for National Culture, Kumasi and the Adehyeman Dance Company. He graduated with a distinction in Choreography and Dance Studies at the University of Ghana where he received several awards including the “Chancellor Excellence Award”. He has held several workshops for the corporate community in Ghana and several universities and colleges in the United States. He currently lives and attends college in Houston, Texas.

Dancer / Musician / Singer

Patience has 15 years professional experience in performing and teaching Ghanaian dance worldwide. She performed as a senior dancer and was an assistant director with the Ghana Dance Ensemble. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon where she teaches dance at Lewis and Clark College and performs the Homowo African Ensemble.