Anansekrom revived to promote Ghana's rich culture

Accra, Sept. 4, GNA - The Centre for National Culture (CNC) in collaboration with the Union of Artistic and Cultural Affiliated Groups of Accra Metro (UNACAGAM), has launched a cultural variety entertainment programme dubbed: 93Blema Tesaa" to promote Ghana's rich cultural heritage.

"Blema Tesaa", which was formally known as 93Anansekrom" seeks to preserve and promote the nation's rich culture form as well as educate and entertain the populace including tourists who visit the country every time.

In a speech read on his behalf at the launch in Accra on Saturday, Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture,=A0called on chiefs to contribute to the promotion of traditional and cultural values and practices to accelerate national development.

He said culture was a unique developmental programme that needed the necessary attention to contribute to the nation's human development and material progress through heritage preservation and promotion, and the use of traditional and modern arts and crafts to create wealth and alleviate poverty.

He said the country had a rich cultural heritage but there was a need to show it to the world by highlighting its true and soft image. Mr Asum-Ahensah said the different races and people over the world found their identity in their culture, adding that people without a culture had no identity.

"We should jealously guard the rich cultural heritage handed down to us by our forebears", he said.

Mr. George Oppong, Acting Director of CNC, said the initiative was a culmination of a long effort to provide an effective framework for the development of the arts and the nurturing of Ghana's cultural sector to make it a relevant tool for education, enlightenment, peace, democracy, national unity and development.

He said the programme would enhance the performance and productivity of organisations dealing with the arts and culture in the country.

"We will churn out high quality performance in the area of drama, drumming and dancing. Choral, traditional and contemporary music, comedies, poetry recitals as well as display of fine arts" he said. Mr Oppong urged the media to work to effectively promote diverse culture to enable the country to achieve unity and national integration for the success of democracy. 4 Sept. 11