Tribute To Professor William Oscar Anku

MELODIES TO THE MUSIC MASTER

(Tribute To Professor William Oscar Anku)

By Sundong Abdul-Korah (For and on behalf of the students/alumni of Nafti who were privileged to have participated in his legendary lectures on Music of Africa)

Those thrilling, soothing melodies

That lit the dull earth

Those triumphant, lyrical and rhythmical acoustics

From a gentle, genuine germ of wisdom

Compelled wings of doves

Stained with the sweat of dew

To imitate in overwhelming joy

As they flew across bloody breezes

Those flawless, deeply felt reverberations

That sent hungry wolves dancing on a forgotten stage

So that the life of the innocent lamp is spared

And the bitter enmity of the hawk and the chicken

Glamorously plunges into a perfect lasting peace

Has shrunk to a shadow’s shadow sheathed in the sand

Those hilarious hums that sparkled the starkly dark world

Persuading the despaired to discard the suicide necklace

And soaked the forgotten cemetery with ecstasy

That shiny Marble whom we loved a cherished

Has suddenly and tragically given way

For lewd loud yells to sprinkle and spill

Over our bereaved, betrayed yard

Like swift rivers onto the unsatisfied ocean

O this darkness of the tomb

Yet whose face always gazes at diurnal luminance

Is but callous, cursing arrows

Unmercifully piercing through the frozen hearts of saints

Whenever I leap into a snap sleep

Like the wink of an eyebrow

I’m always awakened by this odd enveloping silence

Silence that stares sweet melodies into coma

Prompting me to ask the whereabouts of my great teacher

Children of the moon, where’s our legend?

Haven’t you felt this sudden avoidable void?

Academia, have you seen your colleague, our friend

Professor William Anku and his sweet melodies?

Have you seen our great theorist and composer?

Now I know that faded music fades away life

But faded life shatters the wings of music like marbles on eggs

Oh Anku, your deep sleep has only sprinkled doom

All over the deep seas of joy that used to vibrate in our bellies

I’ve searched through the puzzling Anthills of Legon

And down the deepest depths of Gbadzeme-Avatime

Still I’ve not a glimpse of you

Nor heard your melodies…..those sweet echoes

Upon which the impudent croaking of leaping frogs

Give way for butterflies to display their unseen hysteria

Dear Anku, didn’t you hear Dylan’s glorious defiance?

‘Do not go gentle into that good night

Rage, rage against the dying of the light’

Yet the altitude of the magnificent candle

Quickly dissolved into invincible invisibility

What could be worse than this sudden darkness?

Silence, the anthem of our teacher’s new country

O, this bloody sweat of dew over pale, stained faces!

But in all of sleep, there’s just this one

Sleep that has persevered in wait for the good night

Good night with dark stars in the blue skies

That sleep that’s never right and never mistaken too

Whenever it slips into deep sleep

This sleep that gives birth to strange things…

Offended orphans and wandering widow (ers)

And yet it’s this same righteous sleep

That draws vividly and in rainbow colours

All our triumphs over the community’s silver canvas

Sending our progeny to sneeze out broad smiles

From their sad, warped faces in due recognition

Isn’t this the greatest hour to honour honestly?

Mr. Chameleon, colour the befitting tribute now!

Now when I peep through the past

Yes through His cloudy-piercing eye

I hear nothing but those smile of strings

From His soft, humble fingers of dexterity

Over which even demons stretch in full bliss

Rampaging like lost devils in Heaven

But after a long, courageous full blast

The blazing Sun slips into total blindness

And after a full wax, the moon winds to wane

The sweet fragrance of roses too

Is but for crickets of happy spring

Another giant academic gown has evaporated

Into luxuriance but where only remains remain in silence

Hear me Professor Anku

For your great works are bursting boldly at the seams

Brewing and storming beauty, wisdom and joy

This red carpet you’ve frankly weaved and laid

Over which the shepherd, obedient and the dedicated

Whose waxed ears he carefully placed on your milky tongue

Will always swing and swirl in momentous pride

All in praise of your glorious trajectory

Just as Easter celebration reminds us all

Of the resurrected and living Christ

So will your music and teachings feed us

With fresh breathe and insight

For the souls which create harmony among the world’s citizens

Forever remain in permanent peace

And in the basket of living history

Guiding and protecting all orphans

And all those who vomit compassion on trembling souls

So sing Hosanna, beautiful orphans of the earth

As we remain forever in queue, sometimes longing

Wailing to join our parents and great ancestors

Pegged at that peaceful piece of silence

So blessed with unlimited and undiluted rest

Master Anku, as we say farewell thee

Your works are lyrical and worth remembering

Can I hear those sweet barks once more?

Those sugar cries of xylophones, seperewa, mbira,

Yes, drums, guitar, harmonica, premprensua

Can I hear it from that beseeched horizon called Legon?

Deprived and orphaned citizens of Gbadzeme-Avatime

Are your dirges as melodious as the legend’s melodies?

Open your mouths wide; beat soft-harsh the drums

Sing loud and lustily and laudable enough

To soothe all throbbing souls under this bleached sun

And dull halved-moon