Born in Larteh in 1931, Kwesi learned to play percussion at the Akonedi Shrine of his grand-aunt Nana Oparebea, high-priestess of a shrine, which has branches in the United States.
In 1955 Kwesi travelled to the United Kingdom to study mechanics but gravitated back to music. His Manchester house became a spot to visit for touring African American jazz artists, and during the fifties,Kwesi met and played with Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Basie’s guitarist, Freddie Green. In the sixties Kwesi played percussion with The Ionius Monk, Roland Kirk and Sarah Vaughan. In the 1970s Kwesi began to teach African drumming to unemployed Afro-Caribbean youth in Manchester, and in 1982, with the help ofthe UK /Arts Council he created the Kantamanto Cultural Group, which has played at the
Royal Festival Hall and collaborated with British composerDavidFanshaw.
In 1987 Kwesi gave a series of workshops with jazz drummer Edgar Bateman and poetess Elizabeth Suber Bennett at Coltrane House in Philadelphia. While in the US, he also jammed withAl Grey, the Count Basie Band and the Sun Ra Arkestra. In 1995 Kwesi returned home to retire in Larteh where he established the African CuIrural Research Centre and has become a respected elder.
4 Replies to “Kwesi Asare: Pan African musician & cultural custodian”
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Is Kantamanto Kwesi Asare still alive? If so what are his contact details.
I knew Kwesi in the 80’s when he taught African drumming at Manchester Polytechnic. He inspired me to set up Inner Sense and I was privileged to play with Kantemanto a few times.
Is Kantamanto Kwesi Asare still alive? If so which town in Ghana does he live in. I knew him very well when he was living in Manchester. He created a very good drum ensemble called Inner Sense which was the pride and joy of Manchester for so many years.
The Master taught me to play my guitar like a drum along with some high life drumming- the guitar thing took me some time to understand but that’s all i do for years till this day- I’m always booked &call his name daily in gratitude respect & adoration of an amazing teacher master musician genius & an Elder Like no other.