The Osu Eben-Ezer Presbyterian Church Hall came alive with rich Ghanaian music and cultural pride as the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts partnered with the Ephraim Amu Foundation to mark the 126th birthday of Ghanaian music legend, theologian, and cultural icon, Dr. Ephraim Amu.
\nDelivering a passionate keynote address, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, described Dr. Amu as a true patriot and pan-Africanist who contributed immensely to Ghana\u2019s national identity through his music, philosophy, and teachings. She quoted a tribute by former President Jerry John Rawlings, calling Dr. Amu \u201cthe true African\u201d, and praised his early advocacy for national unity and holistic education.<\/p>\n
Hon. Gomashie highlighted the enduring relevance of Dr. Amu\u2019s compositions, particularly the iconic patriotic song \u201cYen Ara Asaase Ni\u201d, which she described as a moral compass for national development. She called on Ghanaians to embrace Amu\u2019s values of self-sacrifice, honesty, integrity, and unity.
\nIn a touching gesture of personal commitment to preserving Amu\u2019s legacy, Hon. Gomashie donated GHS 10,000 from her personal salary to the Ephraim Amu Foundation. She also announced an additional GHS 10,000 support from the Ministry to aid the Foundation\u2019s ongoing projects.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Ephraim Amu Foundation, Mr. N. Kwasi Amu, welcomed guests to the musical celebration and emphasized the power of music in uplifting the human spirit and preserving cultural heritage. He announced the Foundation\u2019s ongoing efforts to preserve and promote the legacy of Dr. Amu through the AmuScope Legacy Project.
\nRev. Prof. T. Laryea, representing the Foundation\u2019s research and development initiatives, outlined several legacy projects including a memorial concert hall in Peki, Amu\u2019s hometown, and the AmuScope Core Project, which involves the digitization, translation, and publication of Amu\u2019s works\u2014songs, diaries, sermons, and letters\u2014spanning over 80 years.<\/p>\n
He also mentioned the restoration of Dr. Amu\u2019s historic 1948 Chevrolet truck (AR 3689), famously used in his community service activities, and a collaborative initiative with educational institutions to support music education, national concerts, and youth mentorship programs in the arts.
\nTwo major publications on Dr. Amu\u2019s life were also announced as available for purchase at the event: \u201cThe Internationalist Poet\u201d and \u201cWitness-Building Perspectives on Ephraim Amu.\u201d
\nThe evening featured stirring musical performances of Amu\u2019s compositions, including pieces in Ewe and Twi, showcasing his devotion to cultural unity through language and music.
\nThe event not only paid tribute to one of Ghana\u2019s greatest cultural pioneers but also served as a clarion call for a new generation to embrace their roots and carry forward the enduring legacy of Tata Amu.
\nSource: Delassie Mabel Awuku, PR Unit- MoTCCA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Osu Eben-Ezer Presbyterian Church Hall came alive with rich Ghanaian music and cultural pride as the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts partnered with the Ephraim Amu Foundation to mark the 126th birthday of Ghanaian music legend, theologian, and cultural icon, Dr. Ephraim Amu. Delivering a passionate keynote address, the Minister for Tourism,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-updates","category-1","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6719"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6720,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6719\/revisions\/6720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}