Remembering the legacy: J.H. Kwabena Nketia, a trailblazer in African musical traditions at UCLA, aged 97
Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia, a renowned Ghanaian ethnomusicologist, professor, and composer, passed away on March 13, 2019, at his home in Legon, near Accra, Ghana. Born on July 17, 1921, in Swedru, Ghana, Nketia dedicated his life to the study, composition, and teaching of African music.
Throughout his illustrious career, Nketia held various academic positions, significantly contributing to the field of ethnomusicology. Although the exact timeline and institutions of his academic positions are not extensively documented, his legacy as an ethnomusicologist and professor is well-attested. His influence extends to his grandson, M.anifest, a prominent Ghanaian musician.
Nketia's journey in academia began at the Presbyterian Training College, Akropong, where he started his music education in 1937. In 1963, he taught the first college-level course on African music at a U.S. university, which was at UCLA. He became a full-time professor at UCLA in 1969, and was instrumental in the development of the university's African music performance program. After retiring from UCLA in 1983, Nketia remained actively involved in numerous creative and academic endeavors.
Nketia's teaching career spanned several decades, including positions at Presbyterian Training College, Akropong; the University of Ghana, Legon; UCLA; and the University of Pittsburgh. He served as the Andrew Mellon Professor of Music at the University of Pittsburgh until 1992.
Nketia was a recipient of numerous international honors and awards, including the African Music Society Cowell Award (1958), the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Music of Africa (1975), the International Music Council UNESCO Prize for Distinguished Service to Music (1981), the 1997 Prince Claus Award, the Distinguished Africanist Award from the African Studies Association (2000), and various awards in Ghana.
One of Nketia's most notable contributions is his seminal book, "Music of Africa," which is considered a primary source for understanding the basic characteristics of African music. He also founded the International Centre for African Music and Dance at the University of Ghana, Legon, in 1993.
Nketia will be honored by the Ghanaian government with a State Burial and will be interned in the same military cemetery in Accra as Bosomuru Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General. He is survived by three daughters, seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. His wife and their two sons died before him.
Nketia composed 42 musical works and authored more than 200 publications, solidifying his status as the world's leading scholar of African musical traditions. His legacy continues to inspire and shape the study and appreciation of African music globally.
References:
[1] "Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 30 Mar. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Hanson-Kwabena-Nketia.
[2] "Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia." GhanaWeb, GhanaWeb, 14 Mar. 2019, www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Joseph-Hanson-Kwabena-Nketia-671619.
Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia, through his academic positions and extensive publications, significantly contributed to the field of education-and-self-development and personal-growth in the form of learning about African music. His teaching career, spanning decades, included notable institutions like the Presbyterian Training College, Akropong, UCLA, the University of Ghana, Legon, and the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as the Andrew Mellon Professor of Music until 1992.
