Looking Back to See Ahead

The Museum of Bad Vibes

Gold weights were significant objects in pre-colonial Ghana as they were used to weigh gold dust during social and political engagements such as births, deaths, funerals and marriages. Gold weights come in a variety of shapes and sizes and in this episode, we focus on the spirit of the Sankofa gold weight.

Awakening in the Museum of Bad Vibes, Sankofa nostalgically recalls its former life and laments its loss of use and companionship. In his prime, he played an important role in trade and commerce in Ghana, but also embodied esoteric properties related to ancestral knowledge.

On this sonic museum tour, Hanna Adan, with the assistance of experts, explores traditional Akan religious beliefs, speculates on this gold weight’s unclear but but fascinating provenance and unpacks what we can still learn from its teachings.

Produced and Presented by Hanna Adan With story by George Bailey

Assistant Producer and Editor: Kwaku Dapaah-Danquah Researcher: Seyi Bolarin Starring: Derek Oppong and Maria Gbeleyi Contributors: Dr John Giblin and Dalian Adofo Production Mentors: Jane Thurlow and Corinna Jones Sound Designer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Tech Producer: Bob Nettles Executive Producers: Khaliq Meer & Leanne Alie Commissioned for BBC Sounds Audio Lab by Khaliq Meer Artwork by Joshua Obeng-Boateng

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada