SLYBOOTS ADVENTURE ABROAD
GHANA, WEST AFRICA
AUGUST 2027
Presented by the Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center USA & the Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance
Music • Culture • Community • Adventure
Ever dream of traveling to Africa?
AKWAABA — WELCOME HOME
In August 2027, we return to Ghana.
For Slyboots, Ghana isn’t simply a destination. It is where much of our story began.
In 2004, Griffin Brady traveled to Ghana for the first time to live and study at the Dagara Music Center, founded by Ghanaian master musician and educator Bernard Woma.
That first journey changed the direction of Griffin’s life.
In 2005, he founded the Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance in Buffalo, New York, in large part to continue the cultural exchange that had begun at the Dagara Music Center: bringing Bernard, Saakumu Dance Troupe and other Ghanaian artists to the United States to perform and teach, while creating opportunities for American students to travel to Ghana and learn directly from the people and communities that carry these traditions.
That exchange has continued for more than two decades.
Artists became teachers.
Teachers became collaborators.
Collaborators became friends.
Friends became family.
Today, that work continues through Slyboots and the Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center USA, carrying forward Bernard’s extraordinary legacy of music, education and cultural exchange.
Adventure Abroad is the next chapter of that story.
This is not a conventional sightseeing tour.
It is an invitation into a living network of musicians, dancers, artists, families and communities that has grown through more than twenty years of making music and sharing life together.
We travel as students.
We travel as guests.
We travel with curiosity.
And wherever possible, we travel as friends.
Akwaaba. Welcome to Ghana.
BERNARD WOMA
At the heart of this journey is the life and legacy of Bernard Woma (1966–2018).
Bernard was a master musician, educator, composer and cultural ambassador whose influence reached far beyond Ghana.
Born in Hiineteng in Ghana’s Upper West Region, Bernard began playing the gyil, the traditional Dagara xylophone, as a small child. His extraordinary musicianship eventually brought him to Ghana’s National Dance Company at the National Theatre in Accra, where he became a featured xylophonist and master drummer.
His career would ultimately take him around the world.
But Bernard was much more than a virtuoso performer.
He was a teacher.
He believed deeply in the ability of music and dance to connect people across languages, nationalities and cultures.
He could challenge an accomplished musician while making a first-time drummer feel like they belonged in the same room.
His teaching was demanding, joyful, generous and full of humor.
One of Bernard’s favorite reminders to hesitant dancers was:
“Bad dancing will never hurt the ground.”
It is difficult to summarize Bernard’s influence on Slyboots because his philosophy is woven throughout what Slyboots became.
Learn seriously.
Share generously.
Laugh often.
Welcome people into the music.
Honor your teachers.
And keep the tradition alive by teaching it to someone else.
THE DAGARA MUSIC CENTER
Bernard created the Dagara Music Center in Ghana as a place for music, dance, education, community and international cultural exchange.
The Center became a home where Ghanaian and international students could study directly with master artists while experiencing the culture surrounding the music.
That distinction matters.
A rhythm cannot be fully understood as a collection of notes.
A dance cannot be completely separated from the people who dance it.
Music exists within language, food, history, family, ceremony, humor, community and place.
At DMC, learning happens through all of those things.
You may spend the morning studying a rhythm.
Then eat together.
Talk with a teacher.
Hear the language surrounding the music.
Watch children play.
Help with something around the Center.
Hear musicians rehearsing nearby.
Sit outside as the day cools.
And eventually realize that the lesson continued long after the formal class ended.
For Adventure Abroad, the Dagara Music Center is more than one stop on our itinerary.
It is our home base in Ghana.
It is where we live together, eat together, study together and begin to settle into the rhythm of life around us.
From DMC, we venture outward to experience more of Ghana—and then return home again.
BERNARD WOMA DAGARA MUSIC CENTER USA
The Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center USA carries Bernard’s legacy forward through education, performance and cultural exchange.
Our work supports the continuation and sharing of Ghanaian music and dance traditions while creating meaningful opportunities for Ghanaian artists and American students to work together.
The relationship is reciprocal.
We help bring Ghanaian artists to the United States.
They teach in our schools and communities.
They perform.
They share their knowledge.
We help introduce new generations of students to Ghanaian music and culture.
And then we create opportunities for those students to travel to Ghana and continue learning at the source.
Adventure Abroad is therefore more than a Slyboots travel program.
It is part of an ongoing cultural exchange.
When you travel with us, you become part of that story.
SAAKUMU DANCE TROUPE
Founded by Bernard Woma in 1997, Saakumu Dance Troupe brings together musicians and dancers dedicated to sharing the traditional and contemporary music and dance of Ghana.
For decades, Saakumu artists have traveled internationally to perform and teach.
Slyboots has worked with Saakumu since our earliest days, helping bring members of the ensemble to the United States for tours, residencies, workshops, festivals and school programs.
For many Adventure Abroad participants, this creates a remarkable reversal.
In America, a Ghanaian artist may be your visiting teacher.
In Ghana, you meet them at home.
You may meet their family.
You see where they learned.
You hear the language surrounding the music.
You begin to understand that the rhythm you learned in a workshop isn’t simply a pattern.
It belongs to a much larger story.
THE 2027 ADVENTURE
Ghana, West Africa
August 2027
Exact Dates: TBD
Length: Approximately three weeks — TBD
Program Fee: TBD
Enrollment: Limited
Adventure Abroad combines cultural immersion, education and exploration.
The journey begins with our home base at the Dagara Music Center and expands outward through Ghana.
Depending on our final itinerary, our travels may include:
Accra — contemporary Ghanaian life, markets, music and culture.
Kumasi and the Ashanti Region — history, markets, textiles, crafts and one of Ghana’s great cultural centers.
Cape Coast and Elmina — coastal Ghana and an essential encounter with the history of the transatlantic slave trade.
Kakum National Park — tropical rainforest and canopy exploration.
Kintampo — waterfalls and the changing landscape of central Ghana.
Mole National Park — wildlife and the landscapes of northern Ghana.
Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary — a remarkable community where traditional beliefs have helped protect local monkey populations for generations.
Coastal Communities — beaches, fishing communities, food and life along the Gulf of Guinea.
And throughout the journey:
Music. Dance. Food. Markets. Art. History. Nature. Conversation. Community.
The exact itinerary will remain somewhat flexible.
That’s intentional.
Some of the best experiences in Ghana have never appeared on one of our itineraries.
WHAT DOES THE BASE PROGRAM INCLUDE?
Adventure Abroad has traditionally been designed around a base program with optional upgrades.
We want the essential experience to be included in the program fee without requiring every participant to pay for the same level of luxury or the same optional experiences.
The base program is intended to provide what you need to live, learn and travel with the group.
Final 2027 inclusions will be confirmed before enrollment, but we anticipate the base program including:
- Lodging at the Dagara Music Center
- Basic accommodations during included excursions
- Breakfast and dinner while staying at DMC
- Scheduled music, dance and cultural instruction
- Group ground transportation for the core itinerary
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Ghana
- Admission to included group destinations and excursions
- Local guides and facilitators when required
- Slyboots/DMC trip leadership and coordination
- Educational and cultural programming
- Pre-trip preparation and orientation
The final registration packet will clearly state exactly what is included.
There will be no mystery about what your base fee covers.
KEEP THE BASE SIMPLE — UPGRADE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Not everybody travels the same way.
One person wants the simplest room available and would rather spend their money in the market.
Another person wants air conditioning.
Someone wants to eat local meals at DMC every day.
Someone else wants to try restaurants around town.
Some people don’t drink alcohol.
Others want a cold beer with dinner.
We don’t think every traveler should have to subsidize every other traveler’s preferences.
So whenever practical, Adventure Abroad separates the essential experience from optional comforts and personal choices.
Your base package gets you there and gives you the Adventure Abroad experience.
From there, you can customize.
OPTIONAL UPGRADES & PERSONAL EXPENSES
Depending on availability and the final itinerary, optional upgrades may include things such as:
Air-Conditioned Accommodations
Our standard accommodations are generally simple.
Where available, participants who prefer air conditioning or upgraded rooms may be able to pay the additional cost.
This may apply both at DMC and during excursions, depending on the accommodations available.
Upgraded Excursion Lodging
The base program will include appropriate lodging for scheduled group excursions.
If a hotel or destination offers upgraded rooms or amenities, participants may have the option to upgrade at their own expense when available.
Restaurant Meals
Breakfast and dinner are provided while we are staying at the Dagara Music Center.
Meals eaten at restaurants are generally not included in the base program unless specifically identified as part of a scheduled group activity.
If the group goes to a restaurant—or you decide to explore one yourself—you should plan to purchase your own meal.
This gives travelers freedom to choose what and how much they want to eat without building restaurant pricing into everyone’s program fee.
Lunch
Lunch is generally a personal expense unless otherwise specified.
Some people prefer a substantial lunch.
Others snack during the day.
Others are still full from breakfast.
Rather than charging everyone for a meal they may not want, participants can make their own choices.
Alcohol
Alcohol is never included in the base Adventure Abroad program fee.
Participants who choose to drink are responsible for purchasing their own beverages.
Snacks & Specialty Beverages
Soft drinks, bottled specialty beverages, snacks, coffee-shop purchases and similar personal items are generally the responsibility of the participant.
Optional Activities
When opportunities arise outside the core itinerary, we may offer optional experiences at an additional cost.
Participate if you’re interested.
Skip it if you’re not.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BASE FEE?
Unless specifically stated otherwise in the final 2027 agreement, participants should expect to pay separately for:
- Passport
- Ghana visa
- Vaccinations and medical appointments
- Malaria medication and personal medication
- Travel insurance
- Lunches
- Restaurant meals
- Alcohol
- Snacks and specialty beverages
- Souvenirs and personal shopping
- Tips and gratuities
- Optional activities
- Accommodation upgrades
- Air conditioning or upgraded rooms where an additional charge applies
- Personal transportation outside scheduled group transportation
- Excess or additional airline baggage
- Other personal expenses
International airfare will be specifically addressed once the 2027 travel plan and program fee are finalized.
WHY WE DO IT THIS WAY
We have been bringing people to Ghana for many years, and we’ve learned something important:
More expensive does not automatically mean more meaningful.
Adventure Abroad isn’t designed to put a luxury-tour layer between you and Ghana.
We want the base trip to focus resources on the things that actually make this experience possible:
housing, transportation, teaching, cultural programming, excursions and the Ghanaian people whose work makes the journey happen.
Then travelers can decide which additional comforts and experiences matter to them.
Want the basic room?
Great.
Want to upgrade to air conditioning where available?
Great.
Want to eat dinner at DMC?
It’s provided.
Want to go out for dinner instead?
Enjoy—but the restaurant bill is yours.
Want a beer?
Absolutely your choice—and your tab.
This system has helped us keep Adventure Abroad flexible while respecting the fact that different travelers have different budgets and priorities.
LIFE AT DMC
One of the things that separates Adventure Abroad from ordinary tourism is that we actually have time to live somewhere.
At the Dagara Music Center, you aren’t waking up every morning, packing your suitcase and boarding another tour bus.
You begin to develop a routine.
Wake up.
Eat breakfast.
Hear the sounds of the community around you.
Study.
Practice.
Rest.
Talk.
Explore.
Eat together.
Make music.
Some days are busy.
Some are slower.
Some days we leave for an excursion.
And then we come back.
That rhythm gives us something that is difficult to find on a conventional tour:
A sense of place.
DMC becomes home.
And from that home, Ghana begins to open around us.
TRAVEL WITH CURIOSITY
Adventure Abroad requires flexibility.
Plans change.
Weather changes.
Roads change.
A teacher becomes available.
Someone invites us somewhere.
Transportation takes longer than expected.
Something we thought would happen on Tuesday happens on Thursday.
Sometimes the thing replacing the original plan turns out to be better.
Ghana operates according to its own rhythms.
We aren’t traveling halfway around the world to demand that everything work exactly as it does at home.
We are traveling to experience another place.
Be curious.
Ask questions.
Listen.
Try the food.
Learn people’s names.
Learn some language.
Dance badly.
Play the wrong note.
Laugh.
Try again.
Every mistake is a new style.
WHO SHOULD COME?
You don’t need to be a musician.
You don’t need to be a dancer.
You don’t need to have traveled internationally before.
You do need to be curious.
You need to be reasonably flexible.
You need to understand that cultural immersion sometimes involves discomfort.
And you need to be willing to participate.
Adventure Abroad is particularly well suited for people interested in:
Music
Dance
Art
Culture
History
Education
Ethnomusicology
African studies
Nature
Food
Community
Cultural exchange
Or simply experiencing the world differently.
MORE THAN A TRIP
Adventure Abroad began with a journey in 2004.
It continued with the founding of Slyboots in 2005.
It grew through years of Saakumu tours, Ghana journeys, school residencies, performances, friendships, students, teachers and collaborations.
Bernard is no longer physically here to welcome us.
But the relationships he created are.
The music is.
The Center is.
The teachers are.
And the work continues.
Ghana → America → Ghana.
That exchange has been moving for more than twenty years.
In August 2027, we continue it.
PROPOSED 2027 TIMELINE
We want Adventure Abroad to be something participants can plan and prepare for, financially as well as personally. The following is a proposed timeline and may be adjusted as airfare, accommodations and final trip costs are confirmed.
AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2026
Adventure Abroad 2027 Announced
Initial interest period begins.
Join our mailing list, review the Adventure Abroad information packet and start asking questions. No commitment required.
OCTOBER 2026
First Adventure Abroad Information Meeting
Meet the Slyboots/DMC team, learn about the history of the program, see photos and stories from previous Ghana trips, review the proposed itinerary and ask questions.
In-person with a Zoom option for travelers outside Western New York.
NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2026
Registration Opens
Final or estimated program pricing announced.
Suggested initial deposit: $500
The deposit reserves your place in the group and begins the formal registration process.
JANUARY 2027
Traveler Orientation #1
Meet the group and begin preparing for Ghana.
Topics include passports, Ghana visa process, vaccinations and travel medicine, travel insurance, budgeting and general expectations.
Payment #2 due
MARCH 2027
Traveler Orientation #2
Introduction to Ghanaian culture, history, language and etiquette, plus an overview of the Dagara Music Center, Bernard Woma, Saakumu Dance Troupe and the communities we’ll be visiting.
Payment #3 due
MAY 2027
Traveler Orientation #3
Updated itinerary, accommodations, excursions, packing, money, phones, transportation and optional upgrades.
Participants begin selecting available options such as upgraded or air-conditioned accommodations.
Payment #4 due
JUNE 2027
Documents & Details
Passport and visa requirements finalized.
Travel insurance, medical information, emergency contacts and participant forms completed.
Flight arrangements confirmed.
JULY 2027
Final Adventure Abroad Meeting
Final itinerary and travel logistics.
Packing check.
Money and communication.
Cultural expectations.
Airport procedures.
Questions.
Meet your fellow travelers and make sure everyone is ready to go.
Final balance and selected upgrades due.
AUGUST 2027
GHANA!
Approximately three weeks of music, culture, community and adventure.
Akwaaba!
PAYMENT PHILOSOPHY
Rather than requiring one large payment, we plan to divide the Adventure Abroad program fee into a deposit followed by several manageable installments.
Participants will also have time to budget separately for optional upgrades, restaurant meals, lunches, alcohol, souvenirs and personal spending.
Once the final 2027 program cost is established, we will publish a clear payment schedule showing exactly:
What the base fee includes • What each payment covers • What is optional • What expenses travelers should budget for separately
Our goal is to make the financial side of the journey as clear and manageable as possible.
SlybootsBuffalo.com
Email Slyboots@me.com to get trip updates or reserve your spot!