Joseph Hanson

Kwabena Nketia

Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia , GM , MSG

(22 de junio de 1921 - 13 de marzo de
2019) fue un etnomusicólogo y
compositor ghanés . Considerado el
principal musicólogo de África, durante su
vida, fue llamado una "leyenda viviente" y
"fácilmente la autoridad más publicada y
más conocida sobre música y estética
africana en el mundo", [1] con más de 200
publicaciones y 80 composiciones
musicales para Su crédito. [2]
 Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia
GM , MSG

Nacido 22 de junio de 1921

Mampong, Ghana

Murió 13 de marzo de 2019

(97 años)
Accra , Ghana

Nacionalidad ghanés

Otros nombres JH Kwabena Nketia

alma mater Colegio de

entrenamiento
presbiteriano, Akropong
Universidad de londres
Trinity College of Music
Ocupación Etnomusicologo y
compositor

Biografía
Born in 1921 in Mampong J. H. Kwabena
Nketia was his parents' only child.[3] He
first trained as a teacher at the
Presbyterian Training College, Akropong.[4]
On a government scholarship he went to
Britain at the age of 23 to attend the
University of London from 1944 to 1949,
beginning with two years of study in
linguistics at the School of Oriental and
African Studies.[5] In 1949 he began three
years' study at Birkbeck College, University
of London, and Trinity College of Music,
London, obtaining a B.A. degree. In 1958 a
Rockefeller Fellowship allowed him to go
to the United States, where he attended
Columbia University (studying with Henry
Cowell), the Juilliard School, and
Northwestern University, studying
musicology and composition.[5]

He was a professor of music at UCLA and

the University of Pittsburgh, and lectured
in many prestigious universities
worldwide, including Harvard University,
Stanford University, University of Michigan,
City University London, the University of
Brisbane in Australia, the University of
Kansas, Lawrence, and the China
Conservatory of Music, Beijing.[6] He was a
professor of music at the University of
Ghana, Legon, Accra, where he began
teaching in 1952. He directed the
International Centre for African Music and
Dance (ICAMD). He taught at the
Presbyterian Training College, Akropong,
serving as the Acting Principal in 1952.[4]
According to GhanaWeb: "His concept and
interpretation of time and rhythmic patterns
in Ghanaian and other African folk music
were revolutionary, and became standard
for researchers and scholars around the
world." He introduced, for example, the use
of the more readable 68 time signature in
his compositions as an alternative to the
use of duple (24) time with triplets that was
used earlier by his mentor and teacher,
Ephraim Amu. Although this practice
undermined Amu's theory of a constant
basic pulse in African music, and
generated debate, Nketia pointed out that
the constant use of triplets in a duple time
signature was misleading. Many scholars
nowadays have found his theory useful in
transcribing African music.[5]

He composed for both Western and

African instruments, and wrote more than
200 publications, including his world-
acclaimed The Music of Africa, which was
translated into German, Italian, Chinese,
and Japanese.[4]

Premios y distinciones
Nketia was honoured with many awards in
Ghana, including the Companion of the
Order of the Star of Ghana, the Grand
Medal of the Government of Ghana (Civil
Division), a DLitt (Honoris Causa) of the
University of Ghana, the Ghana Book
Award, ECRAG Special Honour Award
(1987), Ghana Gospel Music Special
Award (2003), and the ACRAG Flagstar
Award (1993). He was a Member of
Honour of the International Music
Council.[7]
Other international awards he received
include the Cowell Award of the African
Music Society; the ASCAP Deems Taylor
Award, for The Music of Africa (1975); the
IMC-UNESCO Prize for Distinguished
Service to Music; the 1997 Prince Claus
Award; and the Distinguished Africanist
Award of the African Studies Association
of the USA (2000).

In 2009, the Nketia Music Foundation was

formed "to promote the conservation and
development of Ghana’s Creative Legacy
in contemporary contexts, and the use of
the works of Emeritus Prof. J. H. Kwabena
Nketia and other composers for the
development and growth of music and
culture".[8]

On 27 February 2012, Goucher College

presented "Tradition, Creation, and Life: A
Celebration of Professor Joseph Hanson
Kwabena Nketia and the Music of
Ghana".[9]

In June 2015, in commemoration of his

94th birthday, the Governing Council of the
African University College of
Communications (AUCC) held the official
launch of the Kwabena Nketia Centre for
Africana Studies.[10]

Following his 96th birthday, a festival was

held in celebration of his life and
achievements at the Kwabena Nketia
Centre for Africana Studies at the African
University College of Communications,
Adabraka-Accra, under the patronage of
Ghana's President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo,[11] who paid tribute to Nketia
as "one of the legends of the ages".[12]
Also in attendance were former President
Jerry Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu
Agyeman Rawlings, and representatives
from former President John Dramani
Mahama and former President John
Agyekum Kufuor. The Asantehene Osei
Tutu II, in a speech read on his behalf at
the festival on 27 September 2017, said:
"Emeritus Prof. Nketia’s life symbolises the
evolution of our nation in the 20th century.
There are many parallels in his life's story,
which mirrors the national endeavours in
the country. A bridge between our
indigenous culture and modern culture,
non-literate and literate traditions, old and
young artists, Ghana and Africa in the
dissemination."[13] The event was also to
raise funds in order to collate, digitize
Professor Nketia's "thousands of archival
files and field notes on Ghanaian culture,
history, language, arts, material culture".[14]

La muerte y funeral de
estado
J. H. Kwabena Nketia's death was
confirmed on 13 March 2019 at Legon
Hospital in Accra, a after a short
illness.[4][15] The National Theatre of
Ghana honoured him with a tribute
performance of music, dance and drama
on the eve of his burial 3 May, 2019.[16] He
was accorded a state burial at the
Forecourt of the State House on 6 May
2019 and buried at the new Military
Cemetery at Burma Camp.[17]

Composiciones seleccionadas
Nketia's musical compositions include:[4]

Adanse Kronkron
Morbid Asem
Monna N’Ase
Monkafo No.
Yaanom Montie
Onipa Dasani Nni Aye
Onipa Beyee Bi
Yiadom Heneba
Mekae Na Woantie
Maforo Pata Hunu
Obarima Nifahene
Asuo Meresen
Builsa Work Song (1960)
Dagarti Work Song (1961)
At the Cross Roads (1961)
Owora (1961)
Volta Fantasy (1961)
Contemplation (1961)

l
i
b
r
o
s
1963 - African Music in Ghana.
Northwestern University Press
1974 - The Music of Africa. W. W.
Norton. ISBN 0-393-02177-7. ISBN 978-
0-393-02177-6.
1978 - Amoma (in Twi), Ghana
Publishing Corporation, 49pp.
2004 - African Art Music/The Creative
Potential of African Art Music in Ghana.
Companion booklet to ICAMD CD
recordings (ICAMD - DMVI - ICAMD -
DMV4). Accra: Afram Publications
(Ghana) Ltd.
2005 - Ethnomusicology and African
Music – Collected papers, Volume One:
Modes of Inquiry and Interpretation.
Accra: Afram publications. ISBN 9964-
70-400-3.
 2016 - Reinstating traditional music in
contemporary contexts : reminiscences
of a nonagenarian's lifelong encounters
with the musical traditions of Africa.
Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana: Regnum
Africa Publications.

Para leer más

Akrofi, Eric A. (2003). Sharing Knowledge
and Experience: A Profile of Kwabena
Nketia, Scholar and Music Educator.
Accra: Afram Publications. ISBN 978-
9964-70-342-4.
 African Musicology: Current Trends. Vol.
1: Festschrift presented to J.H. Kwabena
Nketia. ISBN 0-918456-62-2

Referencias
1. Nanabanyin Dadson (Daily Graphic),
"J. H. Kwabena Nketia - Portrait Of A
Young Man At 90" Archived 2014-09-
19 at the Wayback Machine. Modern
Ghana, 23 June 2011.
2. Timothy Ngnenbe, "Professor
Kwabena Nketia celebrated"
Archived 2018-07-17 at the Wayback
 Machine, Graphic Online, 28 June
2016.
3. Akrofi, Eric A. (2003). Sharing
Knowledge and Experience: A Profile
of Kwabena Nketia. Accra: Afram
Publications, p. 1.
4. "Ghanaian composer Prof. Kwabena
Nketia is dead" . www.ghanaweb.com.
Retrieved 2019-03-13.
5. "Prof. J.H. Kwabena Nketia Profile"
Archived 2018-10-11 at the Wayback
Machine, GhanaWeb.
6. K. Gyan-Apenteng, "Nketia and Nrican
Nketsia at PAWA Pan-African Lecture
on Wednesday" Archived 2016-03-12
at the Wayback Machine, 25 February
2013.
7. Administrator. "Members of Honour -
International Music Council" .
www.imc-cim.org. Archived from the
original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved
19 April 2018.
8. Nketia Music Foundation . Retrieved 1
April 2012.
9. Goucher College website Archived
26 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
 Retrieved 1 April 2012.
10. Charles Andoh, "Centre named after
Emeritus Professor Kwabena Nketia" ,
Graphic Online, 25 June 2015.
11. "AUCC celebrates Emeritus Prof. J. H.
Kwabena Nketia on his 96th birthday"
Archived 7 November 2017 at the
Wayback Machine, GhanaWeb, 22
September 2017.
12. "Akufo-Addo celebrates 'Legend of the
ages' Emeritus Nketia" Archived 25
November 2017 at the Wayback
Machine, Myjoyonline, 28 September
2017.
13. "Emeritus Professor Kwabena Nketia
is a national treasure - Asantehene"
Archived 7 November 2017 at the
Wayback Machine, GhanaWeb, 28
September 2017.
14. "Ghana to celebrate Emeritus Prof
Kwabena Nketia" Archived 16 August
2018 at the Wayback Machine, Ghana
News Agency, 30 August 2017.
15. Ghana’s Legend Prof JH Nketia Dies At
97
16. "National Theatre honours Prof. Nketia
with cultural performances" .
 www.graphic.com.gh. 2019-05-07.
Retrieved 2019-06-29.
17. "Hundreds gather to bid final farewell
to Prof J.H. Nketia" .
www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved
2019-05-04.

Enlaces externos
Nketia Music foundation website.
J. H. Kwabena Nketia biography at
GhanaWeb

Listening
 PRI story featuring J. H. Kwabena
Nketia

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