Paa Kow – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the Afro-Fusion artist, Paa Kow, shares what he does before every show. You can check out his rituals, after the break.

First, having a good sound check is very important for a successful show. If it’s an early sound check and there’s time, I always want to go back home or to the hotel before the show to get ready. I like to get a little exercise, I’ll do some push-ups or lift some weights to get the blood flowing. I don’t like to feel rushed so I make sure I have plenty of time. I’ll take a shower so I’m feeling refreshed. I have a lot of costumes so I’ll take some time to find the right one to fit what type of show I’ll be playing that night. I could be feeling the West African vibe from my home in Ghana or sometimes I’ll wear a suit.

On the way to the venue, in the van, I’ll play some of the rep and talk to my musicians about what kind of set I’m thinking about for the night. I don’t usually write a set list because I like to feel the crowd and the spirit in the room. I have a lot of different styles of tunes so that allows me to call anything I want if it feels like the right time.

Right before I go onstage, I like to circle up and hold hands with my musicians. Depending on the show there could be anywhere from 7 to 13 people coming together. It connects and centers the group before the show. I sometimes speak first and sometimes last, but everyone will say a little something. I like to remind them to smile, have fun, focus, play dynamically and communicate on stage. I believe music is a conversation and these pre-show meetings are a chance for my band and I to converse before the performance and share our energy. The crowd feels this energy and it allows for a mutual exchange that can really light up a room. Finally, when everyone has shared we all put a hand in and I yell “Cho Boi!” (an old Ghanaian war chant now used by workers and footballers etc to fire up the squad). The response is “Yay!” After that chant, I’m ready to take the stage.

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