At Dagarti Arts & Music, we celebrate the soul of Northern Ghana’s living musical traditions — where rhythm, craft, and community come together to create instruments with heart and music with purpose. Our work is inspired by the rich heritage of the Dagaaba (often referred to as “Dagarti”) people, an ethnic community from northern Ghana and neighboring West African regions. The Dagaaba are known for their vibrant cultural life, social creativity, and historic musical traditions that have resonated across generations.
Central to the cultural landscape we honour is the gyil a traditional wooden xylophone with gourd resonators whose buzzing tones are a signature of Gur-speaking music in northern Ghana and Burkina Faso. This instrument has long been a core voice of community ceremonies, storytelling, and celebration, played by musicians who carry forward patterns learned from elders and ancestral memory.
Dagarti Arts & Music stands at the intersection of tradition and contemporary expression. We are dedicated to preserving, teaching, and sharing this musical heritage through handcrafted instruments, immersive workshops, and performance experiences that bridge continents. Whether in Ghana or abroad, our mission is to ensure that these rhythms continue to live and evolve not as relics of the past, but as vibrant parts of global artistic dialogue.
Founded by Christopher Doozie, our work is rooted in passion a belief that music should not just be heard, but felt, understood, and passed forward. From crafting instruments by hand to guiding students through the intricacies of rhythm and technique, Dagarti Arts & Music fosters connection: between performer and listener, tradition and innovation, community and world stage.
We honor the legacy of centuries-old musical practice while creating new opportunities for artists, educators, and enthusiasts to engage with one of West Africa’s most expressive art forms. Through our instruments and teachings, we invite you to join a journey that is rhythmic, cultural, and deeply human.