Dela Botri & Hewale Sounds
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Dela Botri & Hewale Sounds

Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana | SELF

Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana | SELF
Band World Comedy

Calendar

Music

Press


"Hewale Sounds in Anniversary concert"

"The music of Hewale Sounds lies in a subtle approach to the appropriation of the elements of traditional music -indeed, it stands at the interface of tradition and modernity - and has the potential to sow the seeds of a full blown innovative creation." - The Heritage News Ghana - May 27, 2011


"Hewale Sounds in Anniversary concert"

"The music of Hewale Sounds lies in a subtle approach to the appropriation of the elements of traditional music -indeed, it stands at the interface of tradition and modernity - and has the potential to sow the seeds of a full blown innovative creation." - The Heritage News Ghana - May 27, 2011


"Hewale shows its strength"

"There was no mistaking the Hewale Sounds for anything other than a first-rate music ensemble as the eight-piece outfit treated an appreciative audience to some stirring stuff to mark its 15th anniversary at the Alliance Francaise in Accra last Friday.
'Hewale' in Ga means 'strength' or 'power'. The group on the night demonstrated how strong it was in areas such as composition, versatility and presentation."

--------by Kouame Koulibaly------- - Graphic Showbiz - June 9, 2011


"Hewale shows its strength"

"There was no mistaking the Hewale Sounds for anything other than a first-rate music ensemble as the eight-piece outfit treated an appreciative audience to some stirring stuff to mark its 15th anniversary at the Alliance Francaise in Accra last Friday.
'Hewale' in Ga means 'strength' or 'power'. The group on the night demonstrated how strong it was in areas such as composition, versatility and presentation."

--------by Kouame Koulibaly------- - Graphic Showbiz - June 9, 2011


"Hewale Sounds in anniversary concert"

"Led by flute magician Dela Botri, who formed the group in 1995, Hewale Sounds has over the past years been the toast of audiences throughout the city of Accra and beyond.
It has persistently and consistently proved the power and capabilities of traditional African instruments."


--------by John Owoo------- - The Mirror - May 28, 2011


"Hewale Sounds in anniversary concert"

"Led by flute magician Dela Botri, who formed the group in 1995, Hewale Sounds has over the past years been the toast of audiences throughout the city of Accra and beyond.
It has persistently and consistently proved the power and capabilities of traditional African instruments."


--------by John Owoo------- - The Mirror - May 28, 2011


Discography

'Naa Ayele' - 10 tracks CD released in April 2012
'Amewuga' - 15 tracks CD released in May 2010
'Santrofi' - 5 tracks CD released 2008
'Tabeyiriba' - 10 tracks CD released in 2007
'Bakuye' - 8 tracks CD released in 2000
'Trema' - 11 tracks CD released in 1999

Photos

Bio

Dela Botri, known as the founder and leader of Hewale Sounds is an internationally acclaimed musician. He is an exceptional talented and versatile musician, the finest artist who plays all the chromatic scales on the Atenteben. This Ghanaian traditional musical instrument is a flute made out of bamboo. Botri is the master mind of the development of the capabilities of the atenteben to fit all music genres due to his capabilities of reading and writing music. Botri composes and arranges all his music, while improvising, creating, improving and extending traditional rhythms, beats and sounds. His music stands on the interface of tradition and modernity. He waxes into the contemporary, while keeping a link to his roots.

Leader and Artistic Director Dela Botri started his career at the age of 10. A percussionist at first and later on he mastered the skills of the atenteben (Ghanaian traditional bamboo flute).
After having performed with the Nyame Mei Cultural Troup of Cape Coast as from an early age of 15, he then joined the Pan African Orchestra in 1990 where he mastered and refined his skills as well as a percussionist as an atenteben player. In 1996 he decided to start his own musical group. Hewale Sounds was born.

Between 1996 and 2004 Botri was asked to lecture and teach the skills of his unique method of playing the Atenteben at the University of Ghana’s International Centre for African Music and Dance by Emeritus Professor Kwabena Nketia who is the founder and by then the Director of the Centre who was financed by the Ford International Foundation. On his request, the Centre employed the full Hewale Sounds who by then counted 16 members and became Resident Band of the University of Ghana under the direction of Prof. Nketia.

Botri has held numerous workshops and undertaken different activities throughout his thirty two years of experience. A high light of his activities are: instructor of atenteben at the University of Colorado (USA) in 2004; The Basel University of Arts in Zurich, Switzerland hosted Botri in 2005 where he gave master classes; from 2006 to early 2008 Botri researched on African rhythms across the continent, preparing for his new album; In 2008 to serve as a resource person at the World Music Village in Vakeela, Finland; also in 2008 he represented Ghana at the Cuba Disco Music Festival in the capital of Havana, Cuba; Both in 2009 and 2010 he was an ‘Artist in Residence’ at the Royal Dutch Conservatory in The Hague, the Netherlands. In 2009 he realized a special project with the Royal Hague Conservatory’s Percussion Ensemble ‘Anumadutchi’ to whom he taught Ghanaian traditional rhythms and which ended in a spectacular performance at the prestigious Lucent Theater in The Hague alongside the group’s director, musicologist Mr. Wim Vos, one of the Netherlands’ most prestigious music directors and guests: drummer Peter Erskin (USA) and Dudu Ndiaye Rose (SEN); Also in 2010 he participated in the International Visitors Leadership Program on invitation of the US Government as a Resident International Artist. During this program he exchanged valuable information on music and the arts in general in the cities of Washington, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles at US-based (International) institutions and other international leaders of the arts industry. A special moment was a performance alongside blues living legend William Bell at the Stax Music Academy in Memphis; Again in December 2010 he gave master classes on African rhythms and playing of the atenteben, African drumming and playing of the ‘asratoa’ to music teachers in his ‘training the trainers workshop’ at the Sibelius Academy in Finland.
With different musicians around the world, Botri has held numerous performances, jams, workshops and also taught undergraduate students. His recent activities among others are: In December 2011 Dela Botri performed at the prestigious NOBEL World Peace Prize Award Ceremony and Concert, accompanying Liberian born singer, Miatta Fahnbulleh, at her performance in honor and on request of the Liberian President, H.E. Mrs. Ellen Sirleaf Johnson who was one of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Oslo, Norway; 2012 opened Botri performing with different African top-artistes. During February he was an Artist in Residence in Mali where he did a musical exchange and concert, with the late Balafon (Malian Xylophone) Maestro Keletuigui Diabate and Ngoni dynamo Barou Kouyate, on Ghanaian high life and Mandingue music. This same concert was repeated in March in Accra. On the 8th March, International Women’s Day, Botri accompanied rising star Sia Tolno (RFI 2011 winner) from Guinea Conakry at her concert in Accra; Also in March he collaborated with Erwann Bouvier (Burkina Faso based musician from France) and his band Paris Manguer at their concert in Accra at the opening ceremony of the ‘Quinzane de la Francophonie’ organized by and at Alliance Française Accra. The year 2012 ended Botri in Mali, repeating th