azonto, origin of azonto dance

(AZONTO CRAZE) Having international carnivals for Azonto would definitely help to sustain the interest, development and popularity of the dance and most importantly promote Azonto as a Ghanaian asset. At this point, I would want to congratulate Flash Mob Ghana for coming up with the World Azonto Festival. This festival would indeed drive home the fact that Azonto is of Ghanaian origin. It's without doubt that Azonto originated from Ghana even though our neighbors are trying consciously and unconsciously to own it. I guess you have not forgotten about the Azonto-alingo fracas?

Azonto, as has been embraced now, is a Ghanaian dance which involves movement of most of the joints of the body in a rhythmic fashion. It involves knee bending and hip movements which are typical of most African dance forms. A very simple way of dancing Azonto is captured in the music video of FUSE ODG's “Azonto.'' Quite interestingly, daily activities involved in the way of life of a people are captured in the dance. Activities such as washing, boxing, lovemaking, driving, make-up application and others are depicted by the Azonto dance. Azonto is believed to have originated from towns like Bukom, Jamestown, Tema and other towns along the coast in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

 It's also said that Azonto became widespread as visitors from other parts of the capital visited a popular street bar called Club House where most people of Bukom also visit on weekends to do the dance. Information available suggests that the dance was initially called “apaa'' meaning “work,'' which also incorporated work activities such as washing, boxing, etc. Apaa was later changed to “Azonto,” a term used by the youth in SHS. It's also an undeniable fact that before Azonto became popular all over the country; youth in SHS had already taken to the dance.

In making Azonto very popular all over the country, names like Gasmilla, Sakordie, R2Bees, Castro, Stay J, Eduwojie, 4x4 and a lot more cannot be ignored but of much importance to me is the ownership of Azonto. Can any individual claim ownership of Azonto? “Who owns the Azonto dance? This question may sound trivial but if we do not have a united front to fight our neighbors over the ownership of Azonto, we may just be fighting a lost battle. I say this because some musicians in the country have already started raising their shoulders claiming that they originated the Azonto dance.

Hiplife artiste Akoo Nana now Nahna, made it categorically clear that he started the Azonto dance. He made this claim when he spoke to ETV's Ama Pokua Mensah on the program “Awake.'' On ETV's Late Nite Celebrity Show, FBS also declared that they originated Azonto and started doing the dance so many years ago. I see this situation as very funny yet annoying. When P Square released “alingo,” none of these artistes who are now claiming ownership of Azonto reacted in any way. However, they now deem it fit to claim ownership of Azonto after the release of Samini's “Azonto.”

I must emphasize that these artistes need to shut up their mouths and stop disturbing us that they own Azonto. Azonto is now a Ghanaian asset and we need to eschew individualism. Let's forget about who owns Azonto but rather come together to fight those who want to steal Azonto from us. If you are the originator of Azonto, so what?  Why don't you go ahead and register Azonto as your bonafide invention so that you don't find yourself in the shoes of MUSIGA?

Some few weeks back, as I watched Emmanuel TV, I came across a nice gentleman who had the evil one speaking and manifesting through him. The evil one made it categorically clear that most songs and dances that do not glorify God are used by the devil for his destructive activities. These songs and dances then become evil. Within the week, I watched a prayer and miracle program by Bishop Bonigas and in one instance, an evil spirit manifested through a young lady and said that Azonto is her name .The evil spirit revealed that her name - Azonto, which is also the current dance craze, is done in her kingdom which is found beneath water bodies. Need I say more? Absolutely no! I drop my “diabolic” pen. I rest my case.