It all started with a spider. Actually, it started with a spider story (Ananse):
Once upon a time there was a rich and powerful king with three beautiful daughters, but no sons. The daughters were never allowed to leave the king’s palace, and their names, Kpanlogo, Alogodzan, and Nmaa Nmaa, were kept secret from the public.
As the King grew older, he became more concerned about not having a son to inherit his throne. The wise old king devised a plan to secure his throne. He devised a contest for all the men in his kingdom: the man who guessed the secret names of his three daughters would win their hands in marriage and thus inherit the throne.
Earlier, a cunning man had entered the palace. He slipped away and through the palace until he came across the three beautiful daughters who were playing. He started flailing and twirling, acting crazy, making the girls laugh at him. Not far away, her mother heard the commotion and wanted to know what all the commotion was. Mother called her elder, “Kpanlogo?” Receiving no response, she called her other daughters: “Alogodzan? Nmaa Nmaa?” With this, the man disappeared, leaving the girls explaining to their mother what had just happened.
On the day of the contest, all the single men of the kingdom gathered in the palace for a chance to win the King’s contest. One by one, they presented themselves to the king, trying to guess the names of his beautiful daughters. One by one, they failed. Finally, it was the cunning man’s turn. He had composed a song with the daughters’ names and began to sing, “Kpanlogo Alogodzan nn Kpanlogo Nmaa oo Nmaa oo.”
The crowds and the royal family were truly in awe! However, none other than the king, who demanded to know how Sneaky Man had learned the names of his precious daughters. Sneaky Man wowed the crowd with his amazing tale of bravery and fearlessness. The king was so impressed with the cunning of the Sneaky Man that he gladly gave his daughter’s hands in marriage to our cunning friend.
Like most Ananse stories, this story was passed down from generation to generation in West Africa, specifically in the Accra region of Ghana, as entertainment and as an educational tool. After hearing the story told by his grandfather, during the 1960s, a young Ga named Otoo (Otu) Lincoln was inspired to create an interpretation of this tale. Developing new rhythms, now known as Kpanlogo, Lincoln incorporated aspects of the traditional dances of the Ghanaian fishermen, known as “lolo”, as well as the African “high-life” dances, with rhythms similar to those of Clave (a rhythmic pattern Cuban). and influences from American bluesman Bo Diddley. Conceived as a recreational dance, Kpanlogo quickly became popular with the younger population of West Africa.
The Kpanlogo drum is also a Ghanaian favorite. Similar in shape to, but smaller in size than a Conga, the Kpanlogo drum produces a rich, deep and smooth sound. The drum is approximately 24 inches tall and has a head that is 10 to 12 inches in diameter. The head is traditionally made from antelope skin, however it can be made from calf or goat skin, and the calf skin produces the most antelope-like sound. Being a peg-type drum, it is tuned by hitting the pegs on the body of the drum. The drum is played strictly with the hands.
The Kpanlogo orchestra consists of two Kpanlogo drums (male and female), double iron bells, shekeres or pumpkin rattles. One or more square wooden drums (Tamali), Gyil (xylophone), bamboo flute, clapping and whistles can be incorporated to produce this lively dance sound.
In the Ga language, Kpan means dance and longo means spin, so Kpanlogo means spin dance. The dance features wildly swinging arms, twirling torsos, and graceful footwork. Performed by men and women alike, the “lolo” aspects, such as the movements of the arms when pulling heavily loaded fishing nets, can be easily seen in the dance structure, as can the hints of rock and roll. Comical movements, quick turns, stomping, facial expression, and flirting all play their part in completing the form.
The sexual undertones in the performance led the government to temporarily ban the dance in the mid-1960s. Officials ordered a demonstration of the dance to consider for themselves the final determination of the appropriateness of the dances. Skillfully, those who participated in this special performance slightly modified their steps and movements. After this consideration, the authorities determined that Kpanlogo was an appropriate social dance and lifted the ban. From that point on, the kpanlogo became the Ghanaian people’s favorite social and celebratory dance, now performed by young and old alike.
