The Mala Majo Music and Dance Crew
One of the fascinating things about Nungua in the Greater Accra Region is the massive appreciation of traditional music and dance and there was ample demonstration of that on September 6, 2025 when this year’s Mala Majo Music and Dance Festival came off at the town’s Main Lorry Station.
Crowds started gathering long before the event put together by Fredrick Nii Kpakpo Addo’s One Spirit Africa outfit got underway. Mala Majo means ‘I’ll sing and dance’ in Ga and many in the audience did exactly that as act after act took to the stage at the fifth edition of the festival.
‘I’m happy the event was successful,” Fredrick Addo said after the programme. “The performers were enthusiastic and the audience were simply wonderful.”
The performances embraced different elements of Ghanaian and African traditional music and dance as well as an infusion of contemporary popular music ingredients.
Acts that entertained the crowd included Hejole Dance Ensemble, Universal Wonderful Academy and its team of young acrobats, Nyonmo Da Ensemble and the Efosa Dance Company from Nigeria.
Others were Mala Majo Music and Dance Crew, Nana Senti and Akwantufuo, African Dance Rhythms, One Spirit Africa Band, Ga Mashie Dance Theatre, Emmanuel Dance Ensemble and the Efutupa Crew.
An unusual component of this year’s festival was the inclusion of an uplifting talk on mental health. Dr Josephine Stiles Darko and Mr Francis Yeboah from Mental Health Authority Ghana were on hand to explain things in simple terms.
They pointed out that though everyone aspires for good mental health to explore their full potential, we cannot ignore the fact that challenges to sound mental health also exist.
The mental health professionals explained the different types of mental illnesses there are and their symptoms, adding that there’s treatment available in this country for all those conditions. Dr Darko urged citizens to seek help whenever confronted with issues related to mental health and gave out a toll free number that could be called for advice and assistance.
“I was extremely happy with what the Mental Health Authority people to say because the community really needs such stuff. It was good education,” stated Fredrick Addo.
According to him, those people had mentored many young artistes, some of whom are now prominent cultural ambassadors in Australia, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and other places.
Five personalities: Nii Tettey Tetteh, David Nii Afotey, Nii Alabi Bortey, Samuel Nii Obla and Nii Otu Quarshie were therefore acknowledged at the event for their immense contribution to the elevation of traditional music and dance in the Nungua community.
Mala Majo Music and Dance Festival 2025 was a useful experience in how a community could capitalize on its inherent artistic capabilities to venture into a world of boundless opportunities.
