Drumming Workshop with Joseph Ashong
Sunday, February 2nd, 2025
Drumming Workshop with Joseph Ashong
New Dance Horizons (2207 Harvey St.)
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
FREE Family Event
In partnership with the Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum (SACHM) and the Dunlop Art Gallery.
Sponsored by Boomtown Drums.
PLEASE REGISTER BELOW
Artist Biography
Joseph Ashong, Master drummer, Professional dancer, choreographer, composer, recording artist and teacher, was born in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. He is of both Ga and Krobo tribal heritage. Inspired by traditional music at an early age, he began learning music in school, continuing his studies with teachers in Accra and in Somanya, his mother’s village. He performed with community groups, and solo, in popular and traditional dance competitions.
He became an apprentice with the National Dance Ensemble of Ghana. He was a professional member of that Ensemble for Six years as drummer and dancer. Ashong also studied West African dance with the Guinea Ballet as part of a cultural exchange and studies with Master drummers in Senegal. He was granted a two-year sabbatical to study at the Emelia Dance Theatre in Zurich, Switzerland.
Coming to Canada in 1991, making Toronto his first stop. In Toronto he performed with Enije Ensemble, High Life Starts, and Afro-Nubians. Ashong was artistic director and feature performer of Flaming Dono Drum and Dance Ensemble. He also worked with Tabu (a cross-cultural quartet comprised of musicians from Japan, Korea, and Canada). He has accompanied Toronto dance groups including the Ballet Creole Dance Company, and the Afro-Caribbean Dance Group. In 1997l, Ashong was presented with Music Africa’s “Best Male Performer” award, and his group Flaming Dono for ”Best African Group-Traditional” in 1994.
In 1997, Joseph moved to Regina immersing himself in Regina’s arts and music scene. He led the Cathedral Village Drum Circle for regular Friday night jams for 3 years. He has performed and recorded with Jack Semple and Joel Fafard, performed with Blues band Crossfire and at the Mid-Winter Blues Festival, the Regina Dragon Boat Festival. He has also appeared as the Feature Performer at Mosaic’s African Pavilion and as Resource Workshop for the Saskatchewan Recording Industry Association All-Indie Weekend. He has worked with the Globe Theatre and Youth Ballet Company of Saskatchewan, performed with New Dance Horizons and several Cultural community events.
Also in 1997, Ashong became a member of Manding Jata, a West African music and dance group based out of Vancouver, traveling to numerous countries and venues across North America, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Ashong has recorded and performed with Peter Gabriel, Angelique Kidjoe, Papa Wimba, Farafina, Annax Bickie, Alpha YaYa Diallo, Four the Moment, Prophet Organs and Juno Award winner Bill Usher.
He is often called upon to share his knowledge of traditional Ghanaian culture, music and dance in educational settings. He taught West African percussion and dance at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music for three years, and has conducted classes and workshop with the National Ballet, “Creating Dance in the Schools” program. The Toronto Symphony’s ‘Adopt a Musician; program and the Art Gallery of Ontario’s “Spring into Art” programs as well as many, many classroom workshops and presentations.
Ashong now resides in Saskatoon, where he continues his involvement in the music and art scene. In the summers of 2005 and 2007 he taught at the University of Saskatchewan during the Summer Session. He continues to teach occasionally and give school presentations. He joined with two long time Saskatchewan friends from Boomtown Drums as “The Ghanadians”, playing sets at Festivals and special events such as Engineers without borders. Currently, he is lead percussionist with Oral Fuentes Reggae Band. And in the last few years, his 2 youngest children, Jonah, 14, and Kwanita, 13, have joined him in performing for a variety of events, such as Reconciliation Walks, Canada Day, the Open Door Society, and the Saskatoon Police Service.
