Kliboura Africa
Kliboura Africa
Kliboura ” Sunrise ” as we all know in all languages in the world, it is “kliboura” in Jula (or Dyula, Dioula) language of the Mande language family spoken as a strong trading language in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali. It also means languages. As life is a journey and the morning is also a journey that naturally ends by the sunset, African drumming and dance music is a journey believed to be filled with, goodness, joy and happiness, healing, peace and togetherness.
For these reasons we urge and encourage individuals, communities and nations to drum and dance while the sunrises to activate the goodness of African drum and dance music into their lives, community and countries to support the course of making the world a peaceful place to be.
The Group led and directed by Master drummer from Ghana Maxwell Odai (Paanii), CEO of African Drums Factory Ltd. and backed by fellow master drummers and dancers from Ghana. Kliboura Africa group was formed in the year 2018 with its naturally gifted young musicians based in Ghana, Accra – Nungua. We are known for Authentic African traditional drumming and dance entertainment for all kinds of events as well as hosting Study tours and holiday trips, and school workshops and more worldwide. All our members are traditionally trained masters, professional performers, teachers and facilitators.
We are passionate about preserving, promoting and sharing with the world the rich culturual music and dances of Africa especially from Ghana, and other West African Countries.
OUR TEAM
Founder – Yaya Ouedrago
Yaya is a Griot musician from Burkina Faso. He is a talented and trained master drummer to inherit his family gift. He left home to Ghana at the age of 15years because of his musical ability to collaborate and work with famous music bands and cultural ensembles which enhanced his talent and offered him the opportunity to acquire great experience in the drumming and dance music industry.
He raised the passion of founding a group of talented musicians to explore more of the energy and positive vibration amongst the youth.
Maxwell Afotey Odai – CEO/ Director
maxwell Odai (Paanii) is a Ghanaian, the first son for his parent and the elderly brother for 3 boys and a girl. He took off on his drumming and dance music profession from his uncle called Odai Nmai who was and is a master vocalist and a multi-instrumental musician.
Paanii started his musical career at the age of 11 with Baby Kusun ensemble. Getting through with the basics of drumming after a year, he joined Salaka Dance Ensemble in the year 2004 where he was trained as a dancer and the youngest.
For his sake the group formed a new group of his age mates which was named Junior Salaka Dance Ensemble and he was the Lead dancer. Years after he swap to drumming for some reasons and was trained as a Master drummer.
He was offered the platform to teach and instruct drum classes with Ekome Tours and as a result impacted unto many lives part of his drumming skills until 2015, when he joined Kilele Dance Africa as an Assistant Master drummer/Instructor until date and also joined Wala Afo Drum & Dance Ensemble in 2018 as Assistant Master drummer and now working with Kliboura Africa as a Master drummer/instructor and General manager.
Juliana Borley Alabir
Juliana Alabi (Julia) a Ghanaian by birth and the first child for her parent, started her dancing and singing career at the early stage of 9 years old in primary school called Good Shepherd Prep School. She was the lead dancer of the school Drum & Dance group because of her incredible dance ability as gifted from birth. Early 2005 she was scouted to join Salaka Dance Ensemble. Juliana being discovering her love for dance, trained to lead the female dancers on the group.
She was selected to work with Ekome Tour as a dance Instructor in the year 2010 until current. She had the platform to be featured as guest dancer with great dance groups and musicians in Ghana.
Juliana joined Wala Afo Drum & Dance Ensemble in the year 2017 and now working with Kliboura Africa as a dance teacher/instructor.
Benjamin Bortei Wilson
Benjamin Bortei Wilson (Ben) grew up in the town called Nungua in Ghana West Africa. He is from a family of five, he is the youngest to his brother and a sister. Life was simple and good. He started drumming while in primary school with Salaka Dance Ensemble and later moved to work with two other groups within Accra the capital city of Ghana. Ben have been drumming for over Thirteen years with enormous effort and hard work, he led Wala Afo Drum & Dance Ensemble to win the Best International Performing Group award during a African Drums festival in Nigeria in 2018 and 2019.
He enjoy drumming, dancing, singing, teaching and blowing of trumpet in his leisure time.
As the vast fields bore witness to his curiosity as a kid, he often took to the expensive backyard for adventures and as he grew older, he started working to entertain and develop the land on which he was born and raised. And currently Ben is working with KLIBOURA AFRICA as an Instructor and Marketing Director.
Benjamin Bortei Wilson
Benjamin Bortei Wilson (Ben) grew up in the town called Nungua in Ghana West Africa. He is from a family of five, he is the youngest to his brother and a sister. Life was simple and good. He started drumming while in primary school with Salaka Dance Ensemble and later moved to work with two other groups within Accra the capital city of Ghana. Ben have been drumming for over Thirteen years with enormous effort and hard work, he led Wala Afo Drum & Dance Ensemble to win the Best International Performing Group award during a African Drums festival in Nigeria in 2018 and 2019.
He enjoy drumming, dancing, singing, teaching and blowing of trumpet in his leisure time.
As the vast fields bore witness to his curiosity as a kid, he often took to the expensive backyard for adventures and as he grew older, he started working to entertain and develop the land on which he was born and raised. And currently Ben is working with KLIBOURA AFRICA as an Instructor.
Philip Borketey Bortey
Philip Bortey as we call him Philip started his dancing career at his tender age of 11 years old with the Ghana Dance Ensemble.
Years after he joined Salaka Dance Ensemble to learn and further his dancing ability.
He had been with Salaka for the past 14 years until today.
He also joined Wala Afo in the year 2017 and together with the fellow members won the Best International Performing Group for Wala Afo Drum & Dance Ensemble at the African Drums Festival 2018 and 2019.
Now Philip is working and support the aims and realizations of Kliboura Africa vision as an Organizer.
Carmen Heizmann
She loves and practice African dance and drumming more than 25 years.
She was fascinated with how patience and professional they are in teaching beginners, intermediates and advanced students in the dance and drumming workshop. That is why she decided to be the mentor and contact for Kliboura in Germany.