By Michael Kofi Kenetey
To promote Dangme music, culture, language, and heritage through music on Dangmeland and beyond, a group of Dangme youth has launched the Dangme Youth Choir, DYC at Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The creation of the Dangme Youth Choir also aims to foster unity among Dangme youth and help promote development on Dangmeland and beyond through music. During the launch, the Queen Mother of Manya Jorpanya in the Shai Osudoku District, Nana Nadukie Yongua, urged all the people of Dangmeland to unite and help promote development.
Nana Nadukie Yongua further hinted that Dangme is lacking behind in terms of development, and girl child education among others, and the inauguration of the Dangme Youth Choir is in the right direction to put the name of Dangme on the high pedestal. Nana Nadukie Yongua reiterated however that it is not too late to put things to improve things and called on all to come on board and forge ahead together.
The Chairman of Kloma Hengme Association, a youth advocacy and development group on Kroboland, Isaac Tamatey Otu serving as the chairman for the launch, advised the members of the choir to remain committed for the choir to become a household name like the other choirs in the country. Mr. Tamatey Otu further warned Dangme youth to desist from negative vices that will tarnish the image of Dangme people and find something better to do with their lives.
One of the Co-Founders of the Dangme Youth Choir, Felix Nartey noted that Dangmes in general are talented in singing, however, there is no recognized singing group that will bring all these talents together hence the need to form the Dangme Youth Choir. He therefore encouraged people to join the choir.
The group after realizing that there is no recognized youth choir in Kroboland, and institutions and organizations within Dangmeland always have to invite choir groups outside Kroboland for their programmes decided to come together to form a Dangme Youth Choir to entertain the people through music.
This started after deliberations and interactions, between Felix Nartey, a driver, Lady Angie, a music artist and a lecturer at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Dr. Padikuor Madjitey who started bringing people on board to establish the choir. The launch of the DYC was to give food to the soul and gladden the heart of many, soothe the sorrows and uplift the spirit of people on Dangmeland, put Dangme on high pedestal and provide financial gains to the youth.
