"Yen ara asase ni": Ephraim Amu's Philosophy on Nation Building, Human Growth And Advancement

Abstract

Ephraim Amu is perhaps one of the most celebrated and distinguished personalities that Ghana has ever produced. Amu is remembered not only as a musician but also as one who championed the cause of African liberation from Western dominance and paternalism, particularly in terms of our cultural emancipation as a people. Whereas the tunes to his numerous compositions are known to a fairly sizeable section of the Ghanaian population, little is known about the message that the songs communicate. This article seeks to bring to the fore Amu s contribution to nation building, human growth and advancement as evidenced in five of his compositions.