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| Telenovelas |
Social media influencer and commentator, Kelly Nii Lartey Mensa, has taken a look at how modern telenovelas are negatively influencing the rich Ghanaian culture.
Nii wrote (unscripted):
“#1927
The great Ghanaian musicologist, culturalist and Pan-Africanist, Ephraim Amu was averse with the Yaa Amponsah track (first highlife rhythm by the legendary Kumasi Trio). He expressed shock when the British Principal at Akropong Presbyterian Training College wanted the students to learn Yaa Amponsah song as part of their music curriculum.
He described the song as “vulgar street-song usually sang by drunkard. Labourers, lorry-drivers, and low class people; a song never to be sung be a Christian or dedicated person.”
He rejected the song and crafted new songs for the students.
In those days, its unacceptable to even hold the hand of a woman in public.
In those days, there existed true and passionate custodians of our culture.
#2016
Today, we watch helplessly as thousands of ‘alien-acculturating’ television contents penetrate and devour the very decent fibre of our society.
If Ephraim Amu could cringe on a legendary song like Yaa Amponsah; a song whose royalties saw the inauguration of the Ghana Copyright Society and Ghamro, a song that has given millions of musicians across Africa a decent careers. The first ever highlife song recorded in the world…!!!!
Its sad whats happening on our television stations. Mexicans soaps, indian soaps, Philipino soaps, Korean soaps, Italian soaps, Chinese soaps…. with twi translations ??? where is our pride??? Where is our Ghana?? The Gold Coast whose wealth lied in the dignity and pride of her cultural values??
If you are a young man reading this and you are asking yourself, what at all is Kelly screaming about, lemme tell you this. I’m not a happy man, I don’t expect you to know what you’ve lost because you are unconscious of your cultural worth.. I can’t judge you, I won’t chastise you. But don’t let your children go deeper into the abyss of the foreign ocean because they WILL drown.
WE NEED CUSTODIANS OF OUR CULTURE NOW.
#tagkelly”
