Ghana's Azonto Dance Craze Goes Global

A Ghanaian Dance Craze called Azonto ismaking waves around the world and threatening to spawn its own YouTube industry as dance enthusiasts try to out do each other by posting the most hilarious and most accomplished Azonto moves on the video channel. The Azonto dance is said to have orginated from the traditional Ghanaian dance, Kpanlogo. Apaa (meaning work) was its original name and it first started in down Town Accra areas like Bukom, James Town, Chorkor and in the port town of Tema. When Azonto friendly hip life is played in clubs and house parties in these parts, you can be guaranteed that the dance floor will be packed with people shaking their hips, pointing their fingers and sometimes mimicking the performance of household chores like washing or doing some ironing.

Perhaps its most famous fan is Ghanas World Cup star, Asamoah Gyan, who in his goal celebrations showed millions of football fans what Azonto was all about. More recently, the most popular Ghanaian hip hop stars such as Sarkodie, 4×4 and Gasmillan have adopted the dance and arranged their music beats to the movements of Azonto dancers.

The world has seen lots of Dance Craze creations ranginging from breakdancing, the Macarena, the Twist and many more but few will beat the exhilirating vigour, dynamism and sheer creativity of Azonto!

Below are a couple of Azonto themed videos, the last featuring Ghanaian actor Papa Nii entitled Obuu Mo. The first two especially the one entitled White Boy Doing the Azonto  indicates the reach of Azonto outside the confines of down town Accra.

Learn about and dance Azonto:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azonto_Dance

http://www.facebook.com/#!/WorldBankGhana

This story is by courtesy of:
http://www.myweku.com/2011/12/ghanas-azonto-dance-craze-goes-global/