Africa’s leading female singer, multiple award winning act, entrepreneur and motivator Becca, has paid special homage to the late Dr. Ephraim Amu in a series of tweets educating over 33,000 followers and raising very pertinent and daring questions that needs to be answered by the Ghanaian government and the music industry which seems so unorganised.
Dedicating her Friday evening tweets in celebration of the legend that composed “Yen Ara Asase Ni”, a nationally acclaimed patriotic song that is performed at national functions in Ghana, Becca gave an insight into the life of Legendary Dr. Ephraim Amu as the day marked the 114th birthday of the late Ghanaian composer, musicologist and teacher.
Check some of her of tweets:
Did you know that Dr Amu taught Prof. Emeritus JHK Nketia at Legon and is his biggest influence?
— Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
did you know that Dr Amu Invented the #7notes Musical instrument called #atenteben aka the bamboo flute? — Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
How Proud are you of your African heritage and what have you done to flaunt it? Dr Ephraim Amu Always drank from the calabash…….. — Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
Even When He travelled abroad he carried his calabash with him and drank from it with pride! #wehailDrAmu #4GodandCountry
— Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
Do You have any idea why Dr Amu was sacked by e Presby Church of Ghana in 1931 And y he never rose frm e post of Catechist to be a Reverend
— Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
other nations pride themselves wit names like #Bach #Mozart #Beethoven #david……infact the most prestigious music school in Europe…… — Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
is the #mozarteum….in Austra named after e German Legend Mozart! but we as a nation have 4gotten who this Great man of God is!#DrAmuWeHail — Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
Now Lets Talk Money! So where does Dr Amu’s royalties go? do we even pay him for he records that we infringed upon? im talkin abt great…
— Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
tunes like #yen_ara_asasi_ni #asante_bonwire_kente #yaanom_abibrimma #onipa_da_wohunu_so etc….bcos as per universal copyright laws….
— Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
a copyright owner and his surviving spouse/heir cease to enjoy royalties 70yrs after the original copyright owners has died! — Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
So who has Dr Ephraim Amu’s Royalties? Do we know any shame at all? Do we have any conscience at all? if we cant honour him must we rob him? — Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
no disrespect to 9ja’s Pres Obasanjo but were we short of heroes n heroines thus e reason we named a major already existing street afta him?
— Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
whilst we are at it lets not 4get that if the Musicologist who preferred ‘owura’ 2 ‘Dr’ were alive today,he will be 114yrs old.#wehaildrAmu
— Becca (@beccafrica) September 13, 2013
