Performing Arts | August 19, 2010

Video: Soulfège reinterprets the West African classic "Sweet Mother"

Shot in Ghana, a reinterpretation of the West African classic by a band including Derrick Ashong ’97 and Jonathan Gramling ’98

From The September-October 2010 Issue

When the band Soulfège reinterpreted the West African classic "Sweet Mother," their version included English, Jamaican patois, Ga, and Twi—all in one verse. Watch the music video here and see how much you can catch. The video features lead singers Derrick Ashong ’97 and Jonathan Gramling ’98, and was shot in Ashong's native Ghana.

Read more about Soulfège in "Afropolitans," from the September-October 2010 issue.

Published in the September-October 2010 print issue under the headline “Soulfège Video: Sweet Mother,” in the section.

You might also like

Three actors perform on stage, with one actor interacting closely with another, set against abstract backgrounds.

The play Spare Parts is a contemporary fable about the quest to live forever.

A group of choir singers performs in a cathedral

The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum reunites for a 50th anniversary tour around France.

A man sitting at a wooden table in a formal setting with portraits on the wall.

A theatrical reenactment explores a 1976 clash between science and democracy.

Most popular

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.

Red brick building with large windows and greenery, set against a bright blue sky.

After a final round of layoffs, University leaders say 165 staff jobs were eliminated across the division.

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Explore More From Current Issue

Colorful cartoon animals, including dogs, cows, rabbits, and a fence, on a pink background.

Letters to the Editor

Inseparable cows, big dogs fostering a tiny kitten, and a show beagle’s second act

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

University News

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026

Football

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.