• Asempa Hymns (Words)

    Asempa is the Twi word meaning “Good News”. Here is an English language hymn book with a difference. It not only includes 200 of the most popular British, German and American hymns, but it also brings together a similar number of compositions from Africa, Asia, and the rest of the world.

    Produced in Ghana, Asempa Hymns contains some 90 items from that country including 28 “Ghana spirituals” traditionally sung by the Pentecostals but now gaining popularity in all churches. In many of these, there is a distinctive Ghanaian flavour, which this book and the companion music collection Ghana Praise make available for the first time to Christians in other lands.

    The Western tradition of hymnody has served Africa well for many years, but the rich traditions of other countries have failed to spread, held up by barriers of language, denomination and communication. The appearance of Asempa Hymns, with its wide choice of hymns, from nearly all the continents, will help brothers and sisters in Christ in many lands to realise a new fellowship in song and will shorten the distances that divide us.

  • The Methodist Children’s Hymnal (Hardcover)

    The printing of the Children’s Hymnal became necessary when the Church saw that our children and the young people were more in tune with the singing of the choruses than the Methodist Hymns. As a result, the Christian Education Division was mandated by the Board of Ministries to select some of the hymns which could be conveniently sung by the children. The publication was to be handy and attractive for the children.

    Moreover, it was meant for the children to appreciate and know the worship setting and culture of the Methodist Church, so that they could grow with it. The Church also realised that unlike the olden days where hymns were taught in schools, there was the need to print the hymns in smaller booklets to assist worship in our Methodist Schools.

    It is the hope that the children would be inspired by this hymnal, and their faith will increase and be strengthened in God as they sing and memorise the lines of the stanzas. The hymns, we believe, will enable them to draw close to God and to relate well with other people.

  • African Pianism: Twelve Pedagogical Pieces

    “African Pianism refers to a style of piano music which derives its characteristic idiom from the procedures of African percussion music as exemplified in bell patterns, drumming, xylophone and mbira music. It may use simple or extended rhythmic motifs or the lyricism of traditional songs and even those of African popular music as the basis of its rhythmic phrases. It is open ended as far as the use of tonal materials is concerned except that it may draw on the modal and cadential characteristics of traditional music.

    “Its harmonic idiom may be tonal, atonal, consonant or dissonant in whole or in part, depending on the preferences of the composer, the mood or impressions he wishes to create or how he chooses to reinforce, heighten or soften the jaggedness of successive percussive attacks. In this respect the African composer does not have to tie himself down to any particular school of writing if his primary aim is to explore the potential of African rhythmic and tonal usages.”

    Although I have felt the need for this kind of material even in the 1950s, most of the Twelve Pedagogical Pieces in this volume were written when the school of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana was established in the 1960s in order to give the African piano student being nurtured on simplified and original versions of Western piano repertoire something with African rhythmic and tonal flavour that may enrich his experience, shapes his orientation, sense of timing and coordination of rhythmic and tonal events.

    As the titles of the pieces indicate, I have used a variety of traditional and popular sources as the basis of the compositions. Each source establishes a framework of rhythmic and tonal configuration from which a few idiomatic derivatives are made and used in the inner and outer structures of the piece in such a way as to create a perpetual feeling of propulsive motion. Each piece is sustained by a particular quality of motion created in this manner.

    As in traditional African practice each piece can be repeated once or twice except where a definite closure is indicated by a retard. The pianist can also select a number of them and play them as a suite. A few of them such as the Volta Fantasy and Meditation can stand on their own as concert pieces and have been presented in that manner by both African and Western pianist. It is my hope, there- fore, that some of the pedagogical pieces will be of general interest. – J. H. Kwabena Nketia

  • Ethnomusicology and African Music: Modes of inquiry and interpretation Vol 1

    The volume in hand deals with modes of inquiry and interpretation broadly organised into sections on theory, and historical and creative studies. The section on theoretical issues comprises papers on: the problem of meaning in African music; musicology and African music; the juncture of the social and the musical; integrating objectivity and experience in ethnomusicological studies; the aesthetic dimension in ethnomusicological studies; universal perspectives in ethnomusicology; and contextual strategies of inquiry and systematisation.

    The section on creative and historical topics covers the following: the history of music in African culture; history and the organization of music in West Africa; historical evidence in Ga religious music; processes of differentiation and interdependency in African music; African musical roots in the Americas; and developing contemporary idioms out of traditional music.

  • The Creative Potential of African Art Music in Ghana: A Personal Testimony (Companion Booklet to ICAMD CD Recordings)

    This booklet on the Creative Potential of African Music in Ghana: A Personal Testimony is dedicated to the memory of Professor Albert Mawere Opoku for his unique contribution to Dance Theatre in Ghana, his close collaboration with colleagues in artistic research projects, and his enthusiastic and encouraging interest in the creative work of artists in cognate fields. Nothing would have pleased him more than to be part of the launch of the four volumes of CD recordings of a selection of my musical works, for he was always making cassette dubbings of my music for his friends. I believe that this Companion Booklet will be of interest not only to his circle of friends but also to other music lovers, students and the general public.

    With this readership in mind, the scope of the booklet has been limited to a few personal observations. It does not tell the complete story of African Art Music in Ghana or Africa in general, something I hope our younger scholars will work on as scores and other sources of data become available. It is simply the story of an individual composer and his works, his reflections and comments on his experience as an African composer, which he presents in conjunction with the CD recordings of his works as testimonies of the creative potential of African art music. For a fuller and more objective account of my life and work, I would like to refer readers to Eric Akrofi: Sharing Knowledge and Experience: A Profile of J. H. Kwabena Nketia (Afram Publications 2003) and Akin Euba: Creative Musicology: A Study of J. H. Kwabena Nketia, Centre for Intercultural Studies, Berkeley.

  • Sharing Knowledge and Experience: A Profile of Kwabena Nketia – Scholar and Music Educator

    Kwabena Nketia was a renowned scholar, linguist, composer, poet, researcher, teacher and musicologist in Ghana. His writings have become standard reference works on African musicology, and his work spanned many countries and interests. Nketia maintained a strong interest in Afro-American concerns, African musical traditions and Africans and blacks in the diaspora; and he worked tirelessly on establishing a theoretical framework of African music; consciousness of African identity in music; and to produce publications representing his own musical culture.

    This biography concentrates on the educational and research aspects of Nketia’s work, assessing the importance of his contribution to African musicology, thought on music education, and practical application of ethnomusicology and composition in teaching method, and exercises in African rhythm.

  • Nene Narh Sings : Soulful Praise – Audio CD

    01

    Tracks in this album:

    1. I will just say Yes
    2. Mope ji Mawu
    3. Maja Mo
    4. My Heart will trust in You

     

  • Tu Wo Ho Fo – Audio CD

    Tracks in this album:

    1. Yen ara Y’asaase
    2. Gyato
    3. Mr. Traveller
    4. Tu wo ho fo (Immediate Effect)
    5. Aduane Nyinya
    6. Palm Wine Love
    7. Dedeende Kwao ee/Nkete nkete nkete

     

  • Audience of One – Audio CD

    Tracks in this album:

    1. Prayer
    2. Worthy One
    3. Judah Dzata (Lion of Judah)
    4. Audience of One (God is Here)
    5. Shiwoonɔyeli Nyɔŋmo (Fɛɛ Mli)
    6. Wait
    7. Kosie Ansa
    8. Brɛbrɛ
    9. Mindaoshi (My Jubilee Song)

    Also includes Image cards of all the lyrics.

  • My Yadah – Flavours of 50 – Ace Anan Ankomah

    Ace writes music and plays several instruments but calls himself “just a sporadic songwriter and music hobbyist.” He is an Associate of the pioneering, contemporary gospel music group, Joyful Way Inc. and served as its Director of Music & Productions for several years, having a hand in every album produced by the group since 1991.

    Flavours of 50: My Yadah is his first music album.

  • Enyo – Bethel Revival Choir (Audio CD)

    Tracks in this album:

    1. Tegbe Tegbe (Forever) Ft Ps Edwin Dadson
    2. Ewe Praise Medley 2 (Teteyi) Ft Joe Mettle & Chief Prosper
    3. Agbadza Gospel Medley 3 (Va Dem Kaba)
    4. Enyo (He is Good) (Live Version) Ft Joe Mettle
    5. Mida Akpe (Give Thanks) Ft Dave Da Music Box & Mawutor Tettey
    6. Xorla (Savior) Ft Ps Helen Yawson
    7. Nyemaku o (I will not die) Ft Ps Isaiah Fosu-Kwakye & Osborn Agbodovi
    8. Trusting (Do nu ɖe nu) Ft Ps Jennifer Kofi
    9. Kpe Gbadza (Solid Rock) – Ft Ps Jennifer Kofi
    10. Enyo Spontaneous Worship Ft Joe Mettle
    11. Power Medley (Nukunu Mawu)
    12. Ewe Bongo Worship Ft Akesse Brempong

  • Faith of Our Fathers: A Call to Contend for the Christian Faith

    A glance through the Bible reveals a call for God’s people not only to believe and live the gospel but also to safeguard the gospel and ensure that it is passed on to the next generation without distortion or contamination. Indeed, the fiercest battle of the Christian faith has been the battle against error and false teachers. It is against this background that God wants you to contend for the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints. This book will help you do that effectively.

  • Covenant – by Estarch

    Tracks in this album:

    1. Keep Trusting
    2. Praise You Lord
    3. Apam (Covenant) Featuring Eric KB
    4. Ebenezer
    5. Big God Featuring Mrs Zadi and Minister Tolu
    6. Praise Solution
    7. Ayeyi Nwom
    8. Aboroso Featuring Nhyira Betty

  • Akpe (Bethel Revival Choir)

    Tracks in this album:

    1. Malorwo (I’ll love you)
    2. Fix It (Featuring Calvis Hammond & Pastor Eliot Lamptey)
    3. Yesu Akpe
    4. Ensuro (Fear Not)
    5. Agbadza Gospel Medley
    6. Yedawase
    7. Mawu ana
    8. Wodekako (Only You)
    9. Selah (The Lord’s Prayer)
    10. Ewe Hymn Medley
    11. Mawugbagbe/Halleluyah (Featuring Joe Mettle)
    12. Mawu Akpenawo (Featuring Eugene Zuta)
    13. Akpe
    14. Ava fia Kristo/Yehowa
    15. Ewe Praise Medley (Featuring Joe Mettle)

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