The United States’ (US) Naval Forces Europe and Africa’s Topside Brass Band on Monday entertained children of underprivileged schools at Jamestown in Accra.
The schools included the Universal Wonderful Street Academy, the Gbekebii school of Art and Culture and the BASICS International School.
The US Embassy organised the event in collaboration with the Universal Wonderful Street Academy.
The band displayed a high-energy coordination witha wide-ranging traditional and modern NewOrleans music, rhythm and blues as well asinternational favourites.
The Topside Brass Band also engaged and captivated the audience, particularly the school children, with its dynamic style, which motivated them to dance throughout the show.
Before the band’s presentation, pupils of the Universal Wonderful Street Academy performed Ghanaian songs and dances, which displayed rich culture and history in the Ga language.
Musician (Mui) Surface Welfare (SW) Kent Grover, leader of the band, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, noted that the performance was to celebrate the strong partnership and friendship between Ghana and the US military.
He said music was “a universal language people can connect with whenever and wherever in the world.”
Mr Grover said “Music is a thing that connects people, gets us all dancing, smiling and happy. And being in this beautiful country playing for this kids here it is going to be an experience I am going to remember my whole life”.
He said entertaining children of deprived schools would help strengthen and deepen partnerships between the Ghana and US.
The Founder and Director of the Universal Wonderful Street Academy, Louis YeboahWomder Doe, who spoke with the Ghanaian Times, indicated that the school children were proud the band had performed in the country.
He said the band enabled the inmates gave them the chance to experience and have “a taste of different music from a different world. And also the children are ready to share their African Ghanaian culture to them.”
Mr Doe said that the Universal Wonderful Street Academy, which is a non-governmental organisation, operating on “no-fees basis”, had been in existence for about 11 years.
He appealed to well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to assist the Street Academy.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
