Gballoi: Ghanaian Drumming and Dance

Gballoi is an ensemble performing the music and dance of Ghana, West Africa.  Members have more than three decades of experience in the field of West African music and dance. Originally hailing from Accra, a city on the coast of Ghana known worldwide for its rich musical traditions, the Capital Region- based group has as its mission is to promote Ghanaian culture in the United States and across the world. Gballoi's four core members perform on bells, hand drums, gourd shakers (Shekeres) and flutes, and they are joined by dancers performing the dances of the region.

Gballoi's performance is sponsored by the Schoharie River Center and the Middleburgh Advantage Afterschool Program.   In March and April 2021, Gballoi members Zorkie and Felix Nelson spent four weeks in the Middleburgh Advantage Afterschool Program, teaching the rhythms and movements of Ghanaian drumming and dance.  To celebrate this successful arts residency and to extend it into the Middleburgh community, the Schoharie River Center is pleased to sponsor this community performance, through support from the New York State Council on the Arts, with grants provided by Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature.