Ephraim Amu

Ephraim Kɔku Amu (13 Ebɔ, 1899 - 1995)

Wɔwwoo Ephraim Amu wɔ Ebɔ 13 1899 wɔ Peki-Avetile. Na n'agya yε traditional ɔkyerεma kosi mmere a ɔdanee Kristoni. Na Ephraim Amu fi wɔ ne mmofrase yε baabi a nnwomto abu. Eyi nti, na nnwom ne εho nkyerεkyerεmu da n'akoma so bere a ɔkɔɔ sukuu wɔ Peki. Εkεε akyerεkyerεfo sukuu εsan nso kɔɔ Presbyterian Seminary wɔ Peki a εhɔ na osuaa sεnea wɔbɔ hamoniɔm efi Ɔkyerεkyerεfo Theodore Ntem hɔ.

Afe nsia fi 1920 hɔ no, Ephraim Amu kyerεε sukuufo ade wɔ Peki-Blengo Middle School. Saa mmere yi no, ɔkyerεw nnwom maa sukuufo a ɔkyerε wɔn. Mmere a onni adwuma no, ɔyεε nnwom ho adesua fii Reverend J. E. Allotey-Pappoe nhoma a ɔkyerεwee mu.

Afe 1926 mu no, na Ephraim Amu yε Ɔkyerεkyerεfo wɔ Presbyterian Training College wɔ Akropong. Saa mmere yi, na ɔkyerεwee ne nwom pii a εnnε yεdekae no. Na ɔdaso te Akropong na ɔgyee din se Ghanaman nnwomkyerεwfo a odi kan.

Esan sε na Ephraim Amu pε sε ɔbεtene ne nyansa wɔ Europe nnwom mu no, osuaa amanɔne nnwom tebea wɔ Royal College of Music a εwɔ London bere a na ɔkyerε sukuufo wɔ Achimota School. Wɔ danee ne nnwom sukuu kyerεε  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a sae mmere no wɔfrε no College of Science and Technology.

Mmere a ɔwɔ Kumasi no, Ephraim Amu de ne ho bɔɔ Asanteman Abakɔsεm fie a yεfrε no Ashanti Cultural Centre. Osuaa sanea wɔbɔ Seperewa, εsan nyaa kwan sε ɔbεtenee ne nimdeε wɔ other court music and instruments te sε odurugya.

Asuae a εhwε adesua so εsan sesaa Ephraim Amu Music School εkɔɔ Winneba. Eyi ekyi no, Ephraim Amu kɔɔ so yεε abakɔnnwom ho nhwehwεmu wɔ KNUST afe abien. Rockefeller Foundation ne kuro a wɔmaa no sika ne ahoboae a ɔde yεε adwuma yi. Afei, University of Ghana nso tow nsa frεε no sε ɔnkyerε ade wɔ Institute of African Studies a εwɔ sukuupɔn no School of Music.

Ephraim Amu nnwomkyerεw besii gyinabea abien a wɔyε Abibinnwom ne Amanɔne nnwom na mmom ɔpenee sε ɔbεkyerεw Ghana Akan kasa ne Ayigbekasa. N'adwen a okura mu no sε εyε sε obiara besua nnwom εwɔ kasa a yεkyerεwee nnwom no mu.

Nnwomtow ne akyerεkyerεw nkutoo annyε Ephraim Amu afamdeε. Na ɔyε obi a ɔdɔ ebibiman ne εho amanmrε. Ne bibini bɔbea maa no anyigye pii na ɔyεε nea obetumi nyina ara sε ɔbεhwε ama abibiman ne abibimamrε atumpɔn paa ara. Eyi nti ɔpenee sε ɔbεbɔ atεntεbεn ber a na amanɔne flute wɔ hɔ.

Bere a Ephraim Amu yε asɔrepanyin wɔ Presby asɔre mu no, ɔkɔɔso ara de n'abibiman nnimdeε yεε adwuma esan sε aborɔfo a na wɔnso wɔwɔ asɔre hɔ no, kɔɔso yεε nea wɔn amamrε kyerε. Eyi nti asɔre mpanyimfo no yii no di a wogyaa no asɔrepanyin. Ofi Presby asɔre hɔ kɔɔ Achimota School a saa bere no wɔfrεno Achimota College.

Ephraim Amu kyerεwee ne nnwom dodoo no wɔ Akan kasa mu. Eyi fi sε ɔtenaa Akan man mu mpεn pii wɔ n'abrabɔ mu. Ɔsan kyerεwee nnwom a aka no wɔ Ayigbe kasa a εyε kasa a wɔde tetew no.

Ne nnwom a edikan no, wɔ pɔblehyee wɔ afe 1933 mu εwɔ UK a adwumakuw a wɔhwεε so yε Sheldon Press. Sukuufo a ɔkyerεε wɔn wɔ Kumasi ne Presbyterian Training College na wɔtenee Ephraim Amu adekyerε mu wɔ Ghana. Ankyε biara na wiase afanan nyinaa gyee Ephraim Amu too mu sε odikanni wɔ Abibiman nnwom ne εho nkyerεkyerεmu.

Nnwom kyerεwfo a wodii Ephraim Amu ekyi suaa n'adekyerε na wɔkyerεε nnwom a edii Abibiman amamrε ho adanse. Nnipa pii nso gyee abibinnwom too mu wɔ asɔre nhyehyεe mu. Ne nnwom no nkyerεwee no bi nso bεboaa Ghanaman bere a ɔhεε ase kɔɔ fahodie ho.

Ghana Aban, University of Ghana, Arts Council of Ghana ne International Music Council, UNESCO yε kuw ahorow a wɔbɔɔ Ephraim Amu aba so wɔ adwuma a ɔyε de boaa Ghana ne Abibiman nyinaa nnwomto. Afe biara no, Arts Council yε afahyε a wɔfrε no Amu Choral Festival de kae Dr Ephraim Amu.

Fi kasahorow Adesua

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