King Ayisoba Thrills Fans In Switzerland

Ghana's current traditional song mogul, Albert Ayisoba, popularly called King Ayisoba, has just returned from a festival in Switzerland where he performed alongside spectacular musicians such as Alpha Blondy, Culture Inner Circle, Julian Marley and Papa Wemba.

The event was the 22 nd Afro-Pfingsten Festival in Winterthur, Switzerland. The Afro-Pfingsten festival, which was held from June 8 to 13, 2011, offered a great platform for African arts and culture in the European community.

This year's festival attracted musicians from across the globe who entertained their audience with their rich collection of both continental African music and contemporary western songs.

King Ayisoba, whose song 'I Want To See You My Father' won the Popular Song Of The Year award in 2007, performed alongside other popular musicians from Europe and other parts of the world.

His performances attracted a great number of audiences to the African market side where African products, cultural and traditional wear were being displayed for sale and for exhibition purposes due to the kind of instrument- kologo- he used in his performance.

The kologo, according to the special assistant of King Ayisoba, Augustine Mark, is a traditional instrument of only two strings but this ace musician uses the two string guitar to churn different but melodic tunes to enthuse and entertain his listeners.

The festival saw many Ghanaians selling traditional foods such as beans with gari and fried red plantain popularly called 'red red', kenkey and pepper (shito) with fried fish, banku and okro stew, waakye, kaaklo and other Ghanaian delicacies.

The event also showcased many traditional products merchants in Ghana who displayed various traditional items such as batik, traditional necklaces made from cowries, carved trees and designed or polished beads.

They also displayed traditional African drums, clothes such as tie and die, batakari, traditional footwear from the various regions of Ghana and many more.

The event was also graced with traditional performances from other African cultural troupes who displayed and performed various African dances, songs and performances, as well as taught some of the audience how to play some of the instruments used in cultural dance.

After his performance in Winterthur, the king of northern traditional music then moved to Sweden, Stockholm, where he performed at the Stockholm Jazz Festival. He performed alongside Ghana's sensational Kubolo before returning to Accra.