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.

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 is a student in Performance Studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He has both his M.A. and B.A. degrees in African History and Africana Studies at 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. Habib also teaches African Dance Class at Northwestern University.

Dancer / Singer

Memunatu was principal dancer with the Ghana Dance Ensemble for 10 years. She currently teaches African Music and Movement at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.

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.

Drummer

Neindow worked with the Ghana National Dance Ensemble and established himself as one of Ghana’s best Master Drummers. He now lives in Oregon, teaching drumming and performing with Obo Addy’s Okropong group.

Dancer / Drummer / Singer

Okaidja has danced and drummed with groups in his native Ghana since childhood and has performed throughout Africa, Europe, and the U.S. He is renowned in his homeland and since moving to the U.S., he has performed as lead dancer in Obo Addy’s Homowa group based in Portland. He loves to share his culture and music with students.