Cultural Music should be compulsory in schools
By Nana Afrane Asante
Ghanaian flutist and internationally acclaimed musician, Dela Botri is calling for the inclusion of cultural music as an essential part of the educational syllabus in Ghana.
With songs in Ga, Ewe, Twi and English, his music equally shows the ability to fuse various rhythms in high scales and notes resulting in compositions that reveal the beauty of blending cross-cultural rhythms.
Speaking exclusively on the Brighter Side on Zed 101.9Fm with NYA the Brand on the final day of the Ghana Heritage Month series, the renowned flutist expressed worry about the western standards being practiced in schools, stating that the authorities must introduce cultural music as a main subject to be studied in schools
“I used to teach at the various primary schools but now I do not have a lot of time but I am planning to have a centre or anybody who has support to come on board the Dela Botri music centre”.
“I think we are too much westernizing the minds of our people here in Ghana and sometimes I hear when they go to school, do not speak vernacular and stuff like that but I am a Ghanaian, so why should I stop speaking my language”, he stressed.
According to Mr. Botri, having control over your local language gives you many advantages and opportunities.
He further noted that countries like Japan and the United States of America have held in high esteem their cultural values, which has played a big role in their development as a country.
“If we have to develop this culture from the generation, we have to start from the schools and it has to be taught everyday”, he added.
“In Finland music is taught every day and when I travel there I teach my music in all the schools I am invited to, so why are we not giving music education which is part and parcel of out traditional music from Ghana the same attention here”, he quizzed.
A devotee of contemporary music, Botri has held workshops in a number of universities and performed to varied audiences in the Middle East, Europe, USA and several countries in Africa.
In 2013, he performed with the late acclaimed Malian balafon player Keletigui Diabate in Accra.
In recent years, he has participated in the Cubadisco Festival (Cuba), World Music Village (Finland), Copenhagen Jazz Festival (Denmark) and the Pan African Music Festival (Algeria). He also joined Liberian star Miatah Fanbulleh to perform at the 2011 Novel Peace Prize Awards in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Goethe-Institut Ghana is supporting the performance.
