Let There Be Drumzzz - Ogya brings the thunder to “Late Bloomers”

I recently rewatched some video footage of a friend who lived in Africa for a year, and one of the most striking and utterly joyous scenes began when he simply carried a drum and started beating out a rhythm on it while walking down an empty road. Within just a few minutes, about 20 children came running out of nowhere and surrounded him, ready to join his instant party by dancing and singing along with the beat. One would never expect to see a scene like that happen in our town—but Ogya would like to change that.

Native Ghanaian Kofi Mawuko founded Ogya (pronounced “oh jah”) in Chattanooga after seeing an opportunity to fill a void and expose people to different cultures and learning experiences. Ogya (which means “fire” in the Ewe language spoken in Ghana) has been steadily gaining exposure through their appearances at both Riverbend and Culture Fest last year, and a new CD, entitled Sankofa and tentatively due for a summer release, will only boost their profile.

Kofi has been a performer for the majority of his life. As a child in Ghana, he learned traditional African drumming and dance, and before he was even a teenager, he was a master drummer for an international touring company. After moving to the States in 1989, he settled in Chattanooga nine years later and began to work at the Creative Discovery Museum and teach drumming within the school system and elsewhere. An early incarnation of the band included members in Atlanta; however, the distance was a factor in making Ogya a locally based group, and the current lineup was unveiled at Riverbend last summer.

I had the pleasure of meeting the band at a rehearsal last weekend and observing them in action. With a rotating membership that's in the double digits, the group has a rich, cohesive sound built on strong musicianship and a cooperative spirit without a shred of egoism. Bassist Kouami and guitarist Tommy Kotter are both agile players and particularly exceptional when handling funk inflections, and singers Tamaura and Chasidi harmonize to Kofi's lead vocals, radiating warmth while swaying in unison. Kofi himself is an astounding drummer who can effortlessly rip through blazing rhythms and precisely control the pitch of his jembe beats, and for the upcoming Friday night performance, Bob Stagner (of the Shaking Ray Levis) and Ivan Garcia will augment the band with their dual drum kit attack. Although this rehearsal configuration was tremendous, I was told that several horn players would also be present for the Friday show.

Mawuko cited two musical points of reference for the group: Bob Marley (some of whose songs are included in the band's repertoire) and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Their sound isn't so easy to pin down, though.

“I can't say I have a particular direction,” said Mawuko. “What I'm trying to bring is something very different from what we've been hearing all the time from the television and the radio. It goes in different directions, like a fusion of different types of rhythms put together. Some of the songs have a jazz feel but still have the African traditional flavor, or funk, or reggae.”

However, when it comes to Mawuko's words, his messages are very clear.

“My lyrics are based on life and how we can be together as people—people who are struggling with color issues, religious issues, money issues. It doesn't matter what your color is or where you come from, but we are all one people created by the same God.”

Ogya's dominant theme of togetherness, a natural match with their diverse amalgam of musical styles, is a simple, yet effective one. When children gather, they don't ask each other first, “So, what do you do?” like adults might. They have a basic, unquestioned acceptance to just get together and have a good time playing and dancing. And while we all strive to be unreserved, Ogya will be there to lay down the rhythm.