Open call: Jazz workshops in Ghana

The workshops, scheduled for 24 and 25 April, form part of the Société Generale Ghana Jazz Festival from 22 to 27 April. It is open to musicians of all stages interested in enhancing their jazz skills.

Veteran musicians Victor Dey Jr and Yomi Sower will helm sessions dubbed Putting It All Together and Voicella: Vocal Improvisation and Scat Techniquer, respectively. Dey Jr’s session is scheduled for 24 April, while Yomi Sower will host vocal and jazz dance workshops on 25 April.

A celebrated pianist and keyboardist, Dey Jr combines traditional Ghanaian rhythms with modern jazz. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and English from the University of Ghana and studied jazz at Berklee College of Music in 2006. Starting his music career at 12, Dey Jr has performed globally with artists like Stevie Wonder and Hugh Masekela. He won Ghana’s Vodafone Music Awards’ Musician of the Year in 2014.

Sower, a professional jazz singer, is also the host and founder of Maximum Jazz radio show. Her expertise in the performing arts includes interpretations of jazz. Her two workshops will tackle voice training and dance techniques. The voice training workshop aims to teach singers improvisation skills, including the use of chromatic and blues scales, and an in-depth analysis of scat technique, inspired by legendary vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald. The dance techniques workshop will illustrate various styles such as swing, lindy hop and salsa, and explore how fusion with performing arts like theatre and drama can revolutionise the jazz genre.

Interested participants may register for Dey Jr and Sower’s sessions here.

Note: Selected participants will receive a confirmation email with details of the workshop from [email protected].

Meanwhile, the 2024 Société Generale Ghana Jazz Festival’s line-up of events also includes art exhibitions and showcases featuring local and international artists. It kicks off with a launch event and art exhibition on 22 April, culminating in two concerts on 26 and 27 April, featuring performances by Rocky Dawuni, Bibie Brew, The Band Kokui, Alune Wade, Westcoast Ebusua and The Shuffle Demons.