05/06/2024
Kwadwomfoɔ (Bards)
The history of Kwadwom is traced to one Akwaa who once lived in Denkyira in the present day Asante Kwabre District near Bonwire. Denkyira, we are informed, has since been abandoned and does not exist anymore. As an individual with mental problems, Akwaa would roam around the village and would make utterances while crying. The elders in Denkyira started creating poetry out of Akwaa’s utterances and polished his words by using praise names of Asantehene and labeled the resultant poetry, Akwaa dwom (Akwaa’s songs) that later became kwadwom. No one can recall why the elders did not choose Akwaa su (Akwaa’s cries) since that would have been the best description for what Akwaa was doing.
Although the manner of reciting is designated as “dwom” (song), the actual Twi word is be (verb) while the noun form abeɛ describes the heightened speech mode of rendering the text. What I have described here is similar to apae, another form of poetry that is performed by the Abrafoɔ as described earlier. In light of this, Kwadwomfoɔ do not sing, rather, they recite poetry in heightened speech mode, that is, between speech and singing. As a verbal art form, kwadwom is performed by two men (Kwadwomfoɔ or bards/minstrels) who normally walk closely behind the Asantehene in a procession or stand closely behind the king when he sits in state to recite praise poetry. Depending on the type of poetry, the kwadwom Kandifoɔ (leader) will recite a phrase and the second bard will repeat (or echo) the leader until both bards recite the final phrases in unison. In other instances, they resort to reciting in unison from the beginning to the end.
There are four types of poetry: nwontene (long poetry), nwontia (short poetry), asafo, and Amankum (lit. killing nations). Of the four types, nwontia are relatively short verses and are rendered in unison by the two bards. For instance, “Osagyefo nyane dasuo mo...” is nwontene and in the past, it was performed on Dapaa (the Saturday preceding Sunday Akwasidae) in the evening. Usually the Okyerema will follow with his ayan on the atumpan drums, followed by mmɛntia, ntahera, kɔkrɔanya, mpɛbi ne nkrawiri, etc., in that order. Just as they were the first to reign in Dapaa with their recitations, the Kwadwomfoɔ perform at dawn on Sunday to wake up Asantehene with “Edwom Ti Nyane” (lit. head of songs wake up) for him to prepare for Akwasidae.
As on the evening of Dapaa, the Kwadwomfoɔ will be followed by the Ɔkyerɛma and several of the court ensembles and by the time the last ensemble perform, the Asantehene will know that the courtiers are ready to perform initial rituals to begin Akwasidae. Ɛkyɛm and yɛre hu w’anim are nnwontia. An example of asafo is enwom ti nyane. Okuru anim and naa dua are examples of amankum.
Cc: Asanteman Youth for Culture and Development
