Biography
Formed in 1968, the La Drivers Union Por Por Group brought together a collection of Ghanaian minibus drivers—known locally as trotro operators—from Accra’s La district. The ensemble’s signature sound centers on por por, the longstanding honking-horn tradition practiced by trotro drivers across the country, a style that remained largely unfamiliar beyond Ghana’s borders until the early 2000s. That changed when musician Nii Noi Nortey drew the notice of ethnomusicologist Steven Feld. Nortey had first connected with the La Drivers Union through his acquaintance Nii Yemo Nunu in 2002; over the next several years he performed alongside the group at trotro stations and hotels before arranging an introduction to Feld. With Feld’s assistance the drivers captured three pieces that appeared on the 2005 VoxLox anthology The Time of Bells, Vol. 3: Musical Bells of Accra. In 2007 the La Drivers Union issued their debut album on Smithsonian Folkways under the title Por Por: Honk Horn Music of Ghana, marking a significant introduction for both the ensemble and the por por tradition itself.
Albums
