Sikyi dance performed during 28th congregation@ Jophus Anamoah Mensah Conf. Center

SIKYI
History/Origin
Sikyi is a recreational dance which became popular among the Akans and Fanti communities in Ghana in the early 1920s. Although Sikyi started in the 1920s it became known outside the Akan areas during Ghana's independence in 1957. It is also known as Sekyi, Siti, or Osikyi. Although an authentic date or circumstances leading to the creation of Sikyi is not available, the choreography of the dance and song texts suggest that it was associated with courtship, flirtation and marriage ceremonies. It is therefore performed in the vein of Kpanlogo performed by the Gas of Greater Accra and Boboobs of the central and northern Ewes of the Volta region of Ghana. Sikyi, Kpanlogo and Boborbor are some of the dominant indigenous dance-drumming genres that influenced the development of popular Ghanaian highlife (Younge, 2011).
The story among the Fantis indicate that Sikyi was part of the marriage ceremony for new couples whereby both the new couple and others already married danced to dramatize how young men courted the girls. It was a reenactment of their courtship. The dance was then called Sekyi which literally means 'beads' (Mereku, 2000). The name is in reference to the childhood courtship engagement between adolescent boys and girls during pre- independence era. Historical accounts among the Effutu-Fanti from Winneba hold that adolescent boys who showed interest in girls indirectly tried to remove the loin cloths worn by girls. The loin cloth is usually held in position by the help of beads worn around the waist. For communities in the hinterland the loin cloth served the purpose of an under panty for girls in the early times when modern garments were not available to rural communities.
Among the Ashantis, the story about the origin of Sikyi relates to a possible beginning during the era of barter trade in Africa. In view of their geographical location and transportation challenges, the Ashantis had to endure long waiting periods expecting goods to arrive from the coastal areas for exchange. According to Opoku (1968) young men and women spent the waiting periods to entertain themselves and also to welcome others to the marketplace with the performance of sikyi. These performances depicted "playful flirtation of lads and lasses" (Opoku, 1968, p. 12).
INSTRUMENTAL RESOURCES
The ensemble of sikyi usually consists of the following instruments:
1. Sikyi twene serves as the principal instrument. The lead drum that directs the ensemble.
2. Apentema is the first supporting drum which plays in dialogue with the lead drum using the hands technique.
3. Petia is the second supporting drum also plays in dialogue with the lead drum using stick technique. Petia is currently used in place of agyegyewa/adedemma.
4. Tamalin is the third supporting drum which plays ostinato patterns using hand technique.
5. Donno, the fourth supporting drum played with stick and armpit technique, may be doubled.
6. Adawura plays the timeline
7. Frikyiwa is played by one of the lead singers to support the timeline.
8. Torowa also supports the timeline.
MODE OF PERFORMANCE
There are three main phases of Sikyi dance drumming: aho, agoro and sikyi Aho in sikyi is performed as a prelude to the main dance-drumming event. This is made of inspirational songs in speech mode/rhythm to set the stage for the performance. The second phase sets the stage for the percussion ensemble and the chorus to perform together. When the desired tempo and mood are established between the lead singers and the lead drummer, dancing begins The third phase is named after the dance-drumming ceremony, Sikyi. This phase is made up of enactment of dramatic scenes with romantic or specific courtship storyline which ends up with the females accepting the males proposals for marriage.
COSTUME
Although there is no specific costume for sikyi, women wear the Ghanaian traditional kaba with cloth while the men also use the traditional cloth thrown over the left shoulder.
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[@Lobo-b6z]

Algo q no e visto,en mi pais se forman les hablan por sus nombres pasan y reciben su cartón de igualmente sucede en la USA,pero en africa es una fiesta contagiosa de graritud,de felicidad ,etc,etc,pienso un abrazo virtual por bonito gesto y demostrar al mundo,la unidad.

[@PrideofAfricanCulturaldance]

👍👍👍

[@jettschenker]

If you start a video on a phone in horizontal orientation, it will stay in that orientation no matter how much you rotate the phone.

[@PrideofAfricanCulturaldance]

Thanks 👍