Dawuro also known as Gongon is a double metal bell used by the Ghanaian people, mostly in rural communities for the dissemination of information as well as a musical instrument.
The painting titled “Dawuro” is a town crier beating the gongon.
It is one of the traditional methods of drawing attention to the town crier, before an important message is delivered to the townsfolk in Ghana.
It is a locally fabricated bell-like steal instrument with two hollow heads that produces a clear sound with a long echo.
CONNOTATION
In the painting, the Dawuro or Gongon beater is faceless, while the gongon is identifiable.
This suggests the importance and prominence of the act, rather than the actor.
The graphic description of the hands of the actor suggests that the act of communication must be in good and decisive hands.
The monument, as captured in the painting, also reveals a steadfast community’s persistent desire to be served with consistent, communication.
MUSIC
The sound of the Dawuro also creates an extra dimension within the musical context and adds color and dynamics to Ghanaian music and dance.
It fulfills the role of signal instrument and brings the dance to a climax such as the Adowa dance of the Asantes, Borbor and Agbadza dance of the Ewes.
ARTIST
Tabi Crentsil is a Ghanaian contemporary visual artist with more than three decades of professional experience. He works primarily in acrylic and specialises in figurative painting, portraiture, symbolic abstraction and large-scale murals.
Tabi studied at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana, from 1988 to 1993. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art with Honours, with Painting as his area of specialisation and Graphic Design as an elective.
Over more than three decades, Tabi has developed a diverse body of work encompassing paintings, murals, illustrations and public art commissions. His subjects range from portraits and representations of notable personalities to contemporary African life, culture, identity and memory.
His commissioned and public works include large-scale projects for Sankofa Beach House, Webster University Ghana, Achimota School and One Airport Square in Accra. His work has also been exhibited in Ghana and internationally, including in Accra, Aburi, Takoradi and London.
Tabi continues to work as a professional artist, using painting as both a creative practice and a means of engaging with the cultural and social realities of a changing world.
Written by Abigail Grit Bodo
