Winneba’s Brass Band Festival

Music is seemingly everywhere in Ghana. It’s rare to have a truly quiet moment outside of normal sleeping hours, and even normal sleeping hours don’t always stop the tunes from wafting through the neighborhood. There is a proud history and tradition of music in Ghana, particularly the homegrown genre of highlife, which is a fusion of 1950s jazz, swing and brass bands and traditional Ghanaian drumming, beats and guitar styles. But highlife wouldn’t exist without the influence of brass bands.

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5 Favorite Things About Cameroon

Things have been quiet here on my blog lately, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been on my mind. I arrived in Cameroon late on May 10th, and 3G arrived only about a month before me, so connectivity is a bit sparse and pricey. I’ve also been going “up and down the country,” as they say here, and along the way I’ve seen and experienced a lot of things. And I still have a week left! For now, here is a list of some of my favorite things about Cameroon.

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Laotian Dancing in Luang Prabang

While I was in Luang Prabang, Laos, there was a handicraft festival going on. There were dozens of booths of handicrafts from all over. However, in addition to the handicrafts, there was also a stage showcasing cultural performances. The evening I was there, I got to see a variety of dance performances. Some of them are quite similar to the traditional dances I’ve seen in Thailand. But, there were also some b-boys that were pretty good.

Current Top Thai Pop Song (and Dance)

Thailand can be a pretty noisy place, and not just from normal sounds of life. Frequently there are walls of speakers set up somewhere in the village with Thai pop music blasting. I thought you might want a taste of what that sounds like, so here’s the top song right now.

Pay attention, and you’ll notice some specific dance moves in the video – those dance moves are equally as popular.