Omanghana
Renowned Ghanaian broadcaster, journalist and musician Dr. Kwame Adinkrah has delivered a major lecture at Durham University in the United Kingdom, highlighting the important role of music in preserving Ghana’s history and cultural identity.
The lecture, titled “Music as Cultural Memory: Storytelling Traditions in Contemporary Akan Music,” examined how Ghanaian highlife and traditional oral narratives transmit knowledge, philosophy and collective memory from one generation to another.
During his presentation, Dr. Adinkrah explained that music within Akan society goes beyond entertainment. He described it as a living archive through which communities preserve historical events, moral lessons, social values, folklore and traditional wisdom.
He drew examples from the works of celebrated Ghanaian musicians Nana Ampadu, Dr. Paa Bobo and Okomfour Kwadee. Their compositions, he noted, demonstrate how musicians have documented social experiences and offered commentary on human behavior, leadership and communal life.
Dr. Adinkrah also discussed some of his compositions, including “Metowo Kropon,” “Feyiase” and “Mmoatiahene,” to illustrate how contemporary artists can maintain traditional storytelling practices while using modern musical forms and platforms.
He challenged the tendency to regard African musicians solely as entertainers, arguing that artists also serve as historians, educators and moral voices within their societies.
“The instruments may be modern, the platforms may be digital, and the audience may be global, but the storytelling impulse remains deeply African,” he said.
Dr. Adinkrah concluded his presentation by emphasizing the cultural meaning attached to African music, declaring: “Africans do not only live by sound and rhythm; we live by the meaning of sound and rhythm.”
The lecture connected Ghana’s creative arts and broadcasting experience with international academic discourse, bringing greater attention to Akan storytelling traditions and their continued relevance in the digital era.
The event has been celebrated by sections of Ghana’s media and creative community as an important recognition of the intellectual value of indigenous music and the contribution of local practitioners to global conversations about culture, identity and history.
Source: Omanghana
