A Festival Celebrating The Exemplary Achievements Of  Emeritus Professor J. H. Kwabena Nketia On His 96th Birthday

Under the Distinguished Patronage of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, the Kwabena Nketia Centre for Africana Studies (KNCAS) at the African University College of Communications (AUCC), Adabraka-Accra, will hold a festival to celebrate the 96-year old Emeritus Professor J. H. Kwabena Nketia’s peerless scholarly and exemplary national achievements at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Accra, on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

The celebration will seek to unpack and memorialize the scholarly contributions of Emeritus Professor Kwabena Nketia in the fields of African culture, history, language, music and dance, as well as their holistic cross-cultural relevance and osmotic global import.

Expressing his excitement about the event, the Director of KNCAS, Prof. Kwabena Akurang-Parry explained that the celebration will also be used as a site of fundraising in the form of donations, sale of books, portraits of Emeritus Prof. Nketia and corporate donations and sponsorships.

He added that “the fund raising is aimed at expanding the Africana Library facilities and equipment at the KNCAS; collate, digitize, and preserve Emeritus Prof. Nketia’s thousands of archival files and field notes on Ghanaian culture, history, language, performative arts, material culture just to mention but few.”

Dignitaries expected to grace the festival include His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, former Presidents J. J. Rawlings, J.A. Kufour, and John Dramani Mahama. Others include Members of the Council of State, National House of Chiefs, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Chief Justice, Members of the Judiciary among others.

The Kwabena Nketia Centre for Africana Studies (KNCAS) at the African University College of Communications (AUCC) is the custodian of the creative legacy and intellectual tradition of Emeritus Professor J.H. Kwabena Nketia. Thus the Nketia Centre for Africana Studies houses Professor Nketia’s Classical African Art Music compositions, manuscripts, publications, field notes, photos, books, journals and awards.