Seperewa: The harp of royalty and African tradition

The Seperewa instrument, historically known as Sanku, is attested to at least the 17th century, as the then newly established Asanteman empire incorporated elements of its heavily Mande-influenced northern predecessor state Bonoman into its musical repertoire. Various harp-lutes similar to the sanku which were once exclusively played in northern Ghana (which culturally was much more heavily influenced by the Mali Empire and today is still inhabited by several Manden groups; the Ligbi, Bissa, Dyula and Wangara) eventually gave way to kologo and molo calabash-lute types instead. The harp-lute tradition since then was preserved predominantly among Akan groups in what became southern Ghana, with the only exception being the koriduo 6 string harp of the Dagari and Sisaala groups of northwestern Ghana.

King Osei Tutu, the mythical founder of the Asante empire, was said to have loved the instrument so much that his successor Opoku Ware caused a replica of it to be made in his memory. The instrument was wrapped in gold leaf, and placed among the paraphernalia of the Golden Stool, which Osei Tutu established as "the soul" of the Asante nation with the help of his counsellor, the great priest Okomfo Anokye.
The Seperewa was used to entertain kings, similar to a griot tradition followed by northern Ghanaian tribes, and was also played at palm wine bars, and at funerals. The instrument was said to speak kasa and was either used by itself or along with song.

British colonisation in the later 19th century saw the instrument decline in use as the guitar was introduced, and new chords and musical patterns from Europe entered Akan areas.

By the early 20th century, as the Akan kingdoms became incorporated into the Gold Coast colony, and Christianity was introduced by British missionaries, the Seprewa found its way into churches, Christian weddings and conferences.

For a period, the seperewa enjoyed a status as perhaps the centrepiece of Ghanaian highlife and palmwine music. That is, until the guitar’s entry, which saw several palmwine and highlife music transported to the new instrument as the 19^th century drew to a close. “So the guitar is actually playing the music the seperewa was playing in the 1930s,” says Colter Harper, the ethnomusiciologist who has spent some time studying traditional music in Ghana.

Besides its semblance to the guitar, the seperewa also shares a kinship with the harp lute and the kora, the famous string instrument from the Sahel region. “The music doesn’t sound like Malian music but the structure of the instrument is similar,” says Harper.

Before technology revolutionised how we hear music through ipods, phones and online streaming, it altered how that music was made. With the hi-technology equipment available to the music producer today, it can be said, is more synthesised than made. Today music instruments are superfluous, none more so than the traditional African music instruments like Seperewa.

Ref.: Music In Africa & Ghana Arts Center