The Yaa Amponsah Effect: an Analytical Study of a Popular Ghanaian Guitar Riff

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Yaa Amponsah guitar riff has been described as the lingua franca indigenous Ghanaian guitar play (Collins, 2006). Researches like (Adum-Attah, 1997; Collins, 1989, 2006, 2018) provide a brief history of Yaa Amponsah focusing on her identity, but there is no analysis based on the lyrics of the recorded versions the song. Sprigge (1961), analysed the rhythm used in Yaa Amponsah and found similarities with Akan ensembles like sikyi, apart from this there is little to no analysis of the guitar riffs used in the recorded versions of the Yaa Amponsah song. This research sought to analyse guitar riffs used in five recorded versions of the Yaa Amponsah song and also tell a narrative about the Yaa Amponsah song. Using the qualitative research, discourse analysis method and key informant interviews, I sought to fill the lacuna identified. Analysis of the data pointed out that the Yaa Amponsah originated from the seperewa music, however, the guitar riff became popular as a result of the National dance band competition held in 1972 with the riff built on the chord I, IV, V progression. Analysis of the song text brought about the narrative about Sam refusing to give up on lost love and his inability to act on his feelings for Yaa Amponsah. The findings revealed that there are inconsistencies in the narrative of the recorded versions that I analysed. The inconsistencies could have arisen from the fact that the underpinning motives of the original and the subsequent ones were not identical. It stands to reason that whereas Sam’s version was targeted at winning a loved one back, the subsequent artists who recorded intended it to serve a more hedonic and aesthetic function