Maputo Mensah
Under the creative direction of Maputo Mensah, Logo Ligi is a Colorado-based West African drum and dance company dedicated to celebrating life and global community through the polyrhythmic performing arts of Ghana and the African continent. The name of the group comes from the Ga language and means ‘to tickle, play, or excite.’
Logo Ligi was originally founded by long-time member John Jenkins in 1997, following a year of study and travel in several African countries. It was during this trip that John first met Maputo Mensah, who was then a principal member of the Akrowa Cultural Performance Ensemble at the Academy of African Music and Arts in Kokrobite, Ghana. Upon his return to Boulder, Jenkins established Logo Ligi as a means to practice and share the songs he had learned and commit them to memory. When Maputo arrived in Colorado in 2000, he graciously accepted the invitation to serve as Artistic Director of Logo Ligi and has held this role ever since.
Maputo Mensah was born into an artistic and spiritual family and was immersed in the study of traditional music at the Arts Center of Accra, Ghana, from an early age. He later had the opportunity to study directly under the legendary artist Mustapha Tettey Addy, who comes from a lineage of drummers and medicine men. Maputo trained for years with the Akrowa Ensemble and continuously taught international students from all over the world.
The depth of Maputo’s teaching experience is stunning, having taught students at all levels, from all walks of life and in many countries. He continues to teach drumming and dance classes in Colorado K-12 schools. Maputo Mensah is also the Founder and Director of the Akpe Cultural Center in Kokrobitey, Ghana, founded in 2022. Akpe Cultural Center is a hotel, restaurant, and dance space dedicated to hospitality and to programs that share the traditional arts with visitors and students from all over the world, as well as passing on this precious lineage to future generations through daily classes for the children of the village. Maputo has taught at numerous universities, including the University of Colorado-Boulder, where he teaches West African Highlife Ensemble and dance courses, and he continues to teach all-levels adult community classes throughout the country. Maputo carries and shares the embodied knowledge of hundreds of dances, rhythms, and songs from the African continent, and his teaching taps into a positive energy. This force helps the participants to open to deeper levels of joy, presence, connection, and community.
Maputo Mensah has been nominated three times for a Lifetime Achievement Award from Aspen Connections. In 2025, he was awarded the Legends of Dance Award from The Dance Archive (TDA) of the University of Colorado Denver. He is also a recipient of the Arts and Residence Award from the Center for African & African American Studies, CU Boulder (CAAAS),
Logo Ligi creates life-giving energy that permeates audience members and participants to the very core of their being. By sharing the contagious rhythms, celebratory songs, and exhilarating dances of West Africa, Logo Ligi is sure to inspire and invigorate you. Now more than ever, we need the rhythmic language of drum and dance to unite people of all cultures and creeds to celebrate life, love, and our shared humanity.
For an extensive account of his performances and teaching experience, see his CV.
Links:
https://www.colorado.edu/center/caaas/maputo-mensah
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