Gone to the Village: Royal Funerary Rites for Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II
A Film by Kwasi Ampene
Executive Producer: Lester P. Monts

Thursday, January 16, 2020
7-8:30pm
East Quad Keene Theater
Free & Open to the public

Center for World Performance Studies hosts a screening of Gone to the Village, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Kwasi Ampene. Gone to the Village is a unique and powerful documentary, beautifully filmed, of the elaborate funerary rites for the Queen Mother of the Asante in Ghana. Leading Asante scholar Kwasi Ampene directs and narrates with the authority, gaze and sensitivity of a true insider, with stunning footage of the rich cultural traditions of the Asante people. Filmed on location in Kumase during the funeral, we witness traditions that have stubbornly and proudly resisted the onslaught of colonial rule and globalization.

Through the film, we learn about the history of the Asante as well as the central role of women in this matriarchal society. The scenes of dance, song, drumming, proverbs, and dress code are of exceptional and exquisite beauty, unprecedented in the African continent.

Watch the video trailer: https://youtu.be/C2buzvL4bGY

Kwasi Ampene is associate professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Michigan (USA). He specializes in the rich musical traditions of the Akan people of Ghana, West Africa. He is the author of Female Song Tradition and the Akan Ghana (Ashgate); Engaging Modernity: Asante in the Twenty-First Century (Michigan Publishing); and the producer of the documentary film, Gone to the Village. His book manuscript, Asante Court Music and Verbal Arts in Ghana: The Porcupine and the Gold Stool, is under contract with Routledge Press.

This film was made possible with funding from: The Office of Research (UMOR) / LSA Scholarship/Research Fund (LSA) / African Studies Center (ASC) / The Michigan Musical Heritage Project (MMHP) / Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) / Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / The African Humanities and Heritage Initiative (AHHI at the ASC) / Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG)

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the Center for World Performance Studies, at 734-936-2777. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the University to arrange.