Ten distinguished African personalities honoured

Winneba(C/R), Dec. 10, GNA - The Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) on Tuesday honoured ten distinguished African personalities for their meritorious contributions to the development of indigenous African Music and Arts.

They were Prof. Emeritus J. H. Kwabena Nketia of Ghana, the late Dr. Ephraim Amu of Ghana, Prof. Emmanuel Flolu of Ghana, Prof. Mek Ngeni of Nigeria and Prof. Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba.

The rest were Prof. Gabriel Babawale also of Nigeria, Prof. Lag E. N. Ekwam, Prof. Masumola Omi biiyi-Obidike, all from Nigeria, Prof. Luporishi Mbuyamba of Kenya, and Mr. Charles Wilson from Ghana. They were awarded at the three-day first West African Regional Conference of PASMAE at the University of Education, Winneba. The theme for conference was "Musical Arts Education and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa".

Other members from Kenya and South Africa and an observer from the United States of America (USA) who all had an interest in African Culture were also in attendance.

Addressing the conference, the President of PASMAE, Dr. Adeoluwa Okunade from Nigeria, said the meeting was to engage meaningful discourse that would lead to action plans in reconstructing African history, using musical art as a cultural factor in achieving the aim.

He said the correct history of the African people could only be written by Africans who had the knowledge of the culture and languages, and who were capable of using both oral and written sources. "Our musical art is capable of achieving this if we all remain in close contact, broadly embracing close communication with both literate and non- literate men and women in urban and rural areas".

Prof. Emeritus J. H. Kwabena Nketia in his keynote address, said "our educational system is still in transition from its colonial beginnings as far as its African content and orientation are concerned". He said the country still had some way to go in making cultural studies progrmmes in schools true to life for all Ghanaian school children by not presenting them only as "cultural displays or as elements of antiquated cultures of their forebears about which they learn in the classroom with no proper relation to the experience they are supposed to encapsulate." The Dean, School of Creative Arts Education of the UEW, Dr. Mrs. Mary P. Dzansi, called on institutions of higher learning to support the vision of PASAME to promote indigenous African arts and music by including them in school curricula.

The Chairman for the occasion, Prof. Tunde Babawale from Nigeria, said much was desired of African intellectuals to help maintain the indigenous African culture and educate the youth of their origin or root. 10 Dec. 10