MORE FROM MR BILL ON THE ROOFTOP
Perhaps you have not seen anything recently on this blogsite from Mr Bill but that does not tell the true story. He has been performing his old standards as well as writing and performing some great, new and original material. Here is a sampling:
CANADIAN CONNECTIONS ON THE ROOFTOP
The Rooftop has been blessed in recent months with the appearances each weekend of Canadian singer/songwriter, Anna Katsina Hull, from the windy city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Here is a sampling of some of her work, recorded live at the African Rainbow Resort in Busua. Enjoy!
More EHALAKASA on the Rooftop
Here are more videos from the Celebration of Creativity during “EHALAKASA on the Rooftop”:
EHALAKASA – it lives in us!!
Celebration of Creativity – EHALAKASA on the Rooftop
The RainbowXpress team joined forces with EHALAKASA to present another exciting program of spoken word and poetry on the Rooftop of the African Rainbow Resort in December 2010. Well known spoken word artistes from Accra joined resident poet Nana Amoako Agyeman to perform for the pleasure of their audience. Here are some of the entrees from that night’s menu.
EHALAKASA – it lives in us!!
INTO THE NEW YEAR ON THE ROOFTOP
This is how Mr Bill & Friends brought in the New Year on the Rooftop – great music and dancing, and special guest artists in the mix. Happy New Year, everyone.
BILL’S BIRTHDAY BASH
MR BILL GAVE HIS FANS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT
The action was all on the Rooftop last Saturday night with a full house of fans to help Mr Bill celebrate his birthday.
Serious Party Time on the Rooftop
Bar-top dancing - a first for the Rooftop!!!
And here is one of the videos from the night. You can see more from that night at “RainbowXpress” on Youtube.
SAX MAN FRANK RACKOW ON THE ROOFTOP
Sax Man Frank Rackow
The Rooftop was blessed when jazz musician Frank Rackow joined Mr Bill, Lady Sey and the United African Spirit to share some of his musical talent during a brief visit from Canada. Frank brings with him an eclectic musical background – not only does he play a mean jazz sax, he directs a World Music chair, “Vocal Latitudes” in Calgary. He also is a member of a Klezmer band, “Klezmerovitz”. We do hope he will make it back soon to share more of his talent.
Below are videos of two of the numbers done when Frank performed on the Rooftop.
Frank Rackow with the United African Spirit
ROOFTOP SAMPLERS
In response to repeated requests of the RainbowXpress team for recordings and DVD’s , the following are samples of some of the music that audiences find during weekend performances on the Rooftop of the African Rainbow in Busua. These were recorded live during August and September 2010.
Lady Sey
Whether she is covering well known reggae favourites or introducing original material provided by Mr Bill, Lady Sey keeps it real and lets her audience know that she is very much at home on the Rooftop.
Mr Bill & Friends
Mr Bill raises his considerable jazz and blues experience to a new level, with original compositions offering his insights into the life that he sees around him in the Homeland.
United African Spirit – traditional
The Rooftop band is a flexible group of musicians who fuse traditional rhythms and instruments with contemporary western ones, with results that keep audiences spellbound and asking for more. This sampler reflects the traditional side.
REHEARSAL AT FAIR GARDENS
Lady Sey and Mr Bill rehearsing with the Rooftop band, United African Spirit, at the Fair Gardens Hotel opposite Trade Fair in Accra, prior to their performance for Ehalakasa Mega Fiesta 2010. Many thanks to Manager Eddy Kent and his staff for this opportunity.
PREVIEW – 2nd Annual CELEBRATION
Auditions were held this week to select performers for the 2nd Annual CELEBRATION OF CREATIVITY, to be held on the Rooftop on Saturday, May 15.
The line up for Saturday’s program includes the Pribes Jazz Group, with Contemporary and African renditions; dance and dramatic presentation with Spider and Emefa from “Mass Choreographix”. RainbowXpress is especially pleased to welcome these acts to this venue – these students from the Takoradi Polytechnic are all future star performers!!
Abandzie Fie Dance Theatre will also bring their energy and enthusiasm to Busua with traditional drumming and dance routines. They will perform in the Rainbow Garden in the afternoon, and then again on the Rooftop in the evening.
As a SPECIAL FEATURE, Nana Amoako Agyeman will present some of his “video poems” accompanied by special Artiste from the Gambia, Haruna Kuyetah, on kora, along with members of the United African Spirit.
The program continues on with more good sounds from Mr Bill & friends and Lady Sey, along with the United African Spirit band.
Remember, the CELEBRATION OF CREATIVITY provides a venue for emerging talent in the Western Region. Come out for a day of entertainment – enjoy the variety of creativity and be a supporter!!
