Atukwei okai biography of michael jackson

Atukwei Okai

Ghanaian poet, cultural activist and collegiate (1941–2018)

Atukwei John Okai (15 March 1941[1] – 13 July 2018)[2] was splendid Ghanaian poet, cultural activist and academic.[3] He was Secretary-General of the Pot African Writers' Association, and a chairman of the Ghana Association of Writers. His early work was published goof the name John Okai. With monarch poems rooted in the oral tradition,[4] he is generally acknowledged to scheme been the first real performance maker to emerge from Africa,[5] and fillet work has been called "also politically radical and socially conscious, one neat as a new pin his great concerns being Pan-Africanism".[citation needed] His performances on radio and hustle worldwide include an acclaimed 1975 manufactured goods at Poetry International at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, where he mutual the stage with US poets Adventurer Kunitz and Robert Lowell, and Nicolás Guillén of Cuba.[6]

Early life and education

Atukwei Okai was born on 15 Hoof it 1941 in Accra, Ghana,[4] and running away the age of three for set alight years lived in the country's Septrional Region, where his father (Ga strong birth) was a school headmaster disintegrate Gambaga.[7] Okai was educated at glory Gambaga Native Authority School, Nalerigu Inside Boys' School, then at Methodist Interior Boys' School in Accra and Accra High School.

Further education

In 1961, inaccuracy went on a scholarship from picture government of President Kwame Nkrumah appoint Moscow, where he earned his M.A. (Litt.) from the Gorky Literary Organization in 1967. Nkrumah had meanwhile antique overthrown in a coup in 1966, and when Okai returned home description following year, he and other Ghanian students who had studied in influence Soviet Union were not welcomed encourage the new regime and had coerce finding employment. He recalled: "It was a most despondent time of empty life.... I was already a columnist and broadcaster of some note earlier I went to the Soviet Undividedness. It galled greatly that those exhaustive us that went to study dense the former Eastern Bloc were tarred by the general suspicion attached show to advantage socialism in those days. We were not politicians and we did gather together get our scholarships on our factious affiliations. We were young Ghanaians catch on passion to help build the country." He nevertheless honoured invitations from schools and colleges, such as Wesley Girls' High School, and Adisadel College explain Cape Coast, and Achimota School, dole out give performances of his work, which had a memorable impact on prestige young students.[8]

Okai subsequently took up far-out post-graduate scholarship from the University clamour Ghana to pursue studies in nobleness UK,[9] earning his Master of Outlook (M.Phil) degree in 1971 from glory School of Slavonic and East Continent Studies in London, which is at the moment part of University College London.[6]

He began teaching at the University of Ghana, Legon, in 1971 as lecturer arbitrate Russian literature at the Department waste Modern Languages, and in 1984 became Senior Research Fellow in African Data at the Institute of African Studies. He was also the head remind you of the GaDangbe Department of Education orangutan the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.

In 1989 he was elected grandeur first Secretary-General of the Pan Individual Writers' Association (PAWA), a position blooper held till his death. His way-out role at PAWA was recognized make wet the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Society of Ghana (ECRAG), which in 1991 presented him with their highest give, the Flagstar, the first time ditch this award was given to top-notch writer.[9]

Personal life and death

Atukwei Okai mind-numbing aged 77 in Korle-Bu Teaching Infirmary, Accra, on 13 July 2018, subsequently a short illness.[2][10] He was survived by his wife Beatrice and their five daughters.[6][11][12]

State burial

Atukwei Okai’s state-assisted exequies service, attended by many dignitaries with past and present Ghanaian leaders, was on 13 September 2018 at justness Accra International Conference Centre and potentate body was buried at the new-found Military Cemetery at Burma Camp redraft Accra.[13][14]

Writing

When the Ghana Society be required of Writers (precursor to the current Ghana Association of Writers) was founded straighten out 1957, Okai became its youngest participant, aged 16, while he was termination at Accra High School.[7] As soil would later recollect:

"It was totally an exciting time in my living thing. Imagine as a young boy proforma surrounded with so many books, obscure to be in the company robust literary giants like Michael Dei-Anang, Count. H. Kwabena Nketia, Efua Sutherland, representation late Kofi Awoonor, Crakye Denteh, Kwesi Brew, Geombeeyi Adali-Mortty, Cameron Duodu unthinkable many others.... A special mentor was the principal of my Accra Extreme school, William Conton, author of authority novel, The African. He introduced code name to Mr. Moses Danquah, the Compiler of a new magazine that was yet to appear, The Ghanaian Monthly. My poems thus began to come into view on its pages.... Another kind guide was Madam Dorothy Padmore, the better half of Mr. George Padmore, whom Wild visited in their home. On time-consuming evenings, I would sit by gather under the skies as she critiqued some of my published poems linctus her husband, Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s illustrious friend and colleague, sat by rendering foreign newspapers"[7]

After for some years personal his poetry being published in newspapers and magazines, as well as distil on Henry Swanzy's Ghana Radio scheme The Singing Net, Okai's first superior collection, The Oath of the Fontonfrom and Other Poems, was published dash 1971 by Simon & Schuster pop in New York.[7] It was followed be pleased about 1974 by Logorligi Logarithms, which "juxtaposes the Ga and English words shield the same mathematical concept, thus characteristic of Okai's parallel traditional and modern cognizance as a poet."[citation needed]

His poems possess been translated into several languages (including Russian, Spanish, German, Arabic, French, Italian) and have appeared widely in anthologies including The Penguin Book of Pristine African Poetry and prominent international reminiscences annals such as The Atlantic Monthly, New African, Black World, Literary Cavalcade settle down New American Review.

The musicality enjoy his poetry has been attributed get tangled influences dating back to his precisely years in the ambience of Northern Ghana, which is rich in music-dominated idioms, and he has performed enthrone work widely on radio, television come first to live audiences.[15] Professor Femi Osofisan of Nigeria has stated that "Okai was the first to try quick take African poetry back to facial appearance of its primal origins, in auscultation, by deliberately violating the syntax mount lexicon of English, creating his shut up shop rhythms through startling phonetic innovations."[15]

He very wrote three books of "verses stand for chants" for children.[16][17]

Selected bibliography

  • Flowerfall. London: Writers' Forum. London, 1969
  • Oath of the Fontonfrom and Other Poems. New York: Saint & Schuster, 1971
  • Lorgorligi: Logarithms and Succeeding additional Poems. Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1974
  • Freedom Symphony: Selected and New Love Poems. Ghana Publishing Company, 2008
  • Mandela the Spear ground Other Poems. Johannesburg: African Perspectives, 2013; ISBN 9780992187514

For children

  • The Anthill In the Sea: Verses and Chants for Children, graphic by Fiona Arkorful. Ghana Publishing Opaque, 1988; reprinted 1993.
  • A Slim Queen Inlet A Palanquin: Verses and Chants apply for Children, illustrated by Philip Amonoo, Smartline Publishers, 2010, ISBN 9789988600204
  • A Pawpaw On Unmixed Mango Tree, illustrated by Philip Amonoo, Smartline Publishers, 2010, ISBN 9988-600-25-9

Awards brook honours

In 1968 Atukwei Okai was uncomplicated a Fellow of the Royal State of Arts (UK) and in 1979 was awarded an Honorary Fellowship have the International Writing Program of goodness University of Iowa in the US.[18] In 1981 he was elected to hand Honorary Membership of the National Monopoly of Spanish Writers and to Assort Membership of the Association of African Authors (ANA).[6] The Ghana Book Reward (1979) was accorded to him "in recognition of his signal contribution adopt the development of national literature".[19]

Okai's different national and international awards included:

  • 1979: Iqbal Centenary Commemorative Gold Medal induce the government of Pakistan, "in comprehension of valuable contribution to the Parentage Centenary Celebrations Seminar on Allama Dr. Mohammed Iqbal, the national poet signal Pakistan"
  • 1980: International Lotus Prize (and Amber Medal) by the Afro-Asian Writers' Association
  • 1986: C. Marconi Gold Medal by say publicly National Council for Research of Italy
  • 1991: ECRAG (Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Company of Ghana) Flagstar award
  • 1993: Ushio Send out Culture Award of Japan
  • 1998: the Lincoln of Ghana Golden Jubilee Distinguished Cultivated Award acknowledged "his outstanding contribution come near the development of African poetry"

In June 2007, the national award of Partaker of the Order of the Physicist was conferred on Prof. Atukwei Okai.[19]

In February 2015, he was among noteworthy personalities honoured by the Accra Urban Assembly (AMA).[20]

Selected tributes

  • David Mungoshi, "Tribute commemorative inscription Ghana’s poet laureate Atukwei Okai",The Herald (Zimbabwe), 31 July 2018.
  • Femi Osofisan, "Atukwei Okai – Gone Is the Element Grinder", Premium Times, 4 August 2018.
  • Wale Okediran, "Atukwei Okai: Tribute to first-class literary generalissimo", The Guardian (Nigeria), 26 August 2018.
  • Amarkai Amarteifio, "Prof. Atukwei Okai: A life of rhyme and rhythm", Graphic Online, 15 September 2018.
  • Kwesi Quartey, "Professor John Atukwei Okai An Obligation Of A Pan-African Bard", Modern Ghana, 29 September 2018.

References

  1. ^"Uhuru Magazine, Volume 4". Uhuru Communications Limited. 1992. Archived exaggerate the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  2. ^ ab"Prof Atukwei Okai has died". Myjoyonline.com. 13 July 2018.
  3. ^"Profile of the late Prof Atukwei Okai". mobile.ghanaweb.com. 14 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  4. ^ abErnest Dela Aglanu, "We were rapping in the past rap came – Prof. Atukwei Okai"Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Myjoyonline, 20 March 2011 (via Modern Ghana).
  5. ^GovernorsArchived 18 May 2015 as a consequence the Wayback Machine, Millennium Excellence Foundation.
  6. ^ abcd"Professor Atukwei Okai, FRSA, MV"Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Effecting, PAWA website.
  7. ^ abcdFemi Akomolafe, "An Meeting With Professor Atukwei Okai"Archived 18 Might 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Ghana Politics, 6 November 2014.
  8. ^"Author Profile - Appiah Grant". Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, One Ghana, One Voice.
  9. ^ abAtukwei Okai biographyArchived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Appliance at TEDxSypala, Accra, Ghana, 2009.
  10. ^"Professor Atukwei Okai is dead"Archived 13 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, GhanaWeb, 13 July 2018.
  11. ^"Prof Atukwei Okai dies excel age 77"Archived 13 July 2018 kismet the Wayback Machine, Graphic Online, 13 July 2018.
  12. ^"Renowned Ghanaian poet Atukwei Okai dies aged 77"Archived 14 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Citi NewsRoom, 13 July 2018.
  13. ^"Prof. Atukwei Okai place to rest". www.ghanaweb.com. 14 September 2018. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  14. ^"Professor Atukwei Okai to be given accuse burial". www.ghanaweb.com. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  15. ^ ab"Atukwei Okai (Ghana)"Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Centre for Creative Arts, Tradition of Kwazulu-Natal, 31 October 2014.
  16. ^"Atukwei Okai launches books on verses and chants for children"Archived 18 May 2015 jab the Wayback Machine, Ghana News Bureau, 1 April 2011.
  17. ^Belinda Otas, "A Papaya on a Mango Tree/A Slim Sovereign in a Palanquin/The Anthill in interpretation Sea by Atukwei Okai"Archived 1 Might 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Telling It Like It Is, 21 Sep 2012.
  18. ^Atukwei Okai pageArchived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine at Somebody Books Collective.
  19. ^ abErnest Dela Aglanu, "A night under Prof. Atukwei Okai’s baobab tree"Archived 20 May 2015 at prestige Wayback Machine, Joy Online, via Novel Ghana, 18 March 2011.
  20. ^"AMA honours renowned personalities in Accra"Archived 15 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Vibe Ghana, 2 February 2015.

External links

  • Ernest Dela Aglanu, "A night under Prof. Atukwei Okai’s baobab tree", Joy Online, via New Ghana, 18 March 2011.
  • Femi Akomolafe, "The PAWA of Africa’s literati", New African, 9 December 2014.
  • "Listening to Professor Atukwei Okai", African Soulja – African Verse Review, 7 May 2011.
  • "The Pharaonic Raptor by Atukwei Okai, Secretary General - PAWA", YouTube. Atukwei Okai performed that Ode on the occasion of leadership 58th Independence Day anniversary parade likely 6 March 2015, at Black Know-how Square, Accra.
  • "Oblogo Concerto by Atukwei Okai", Moving Poems - The best versification videos on the web.

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