Renowned Ghanaian rapper, Enoch Nana Yaw Oduro-Agyei, aka Trigmatic, has called for the creation of well-equipped archival facilities to preserve Ghana’s musical legacy.
According to him, there is an imminent threat of losing a significant part of the nation’s cultural identity if steps are not taken to improve the current state of archival resources.
In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, Trigmatic stated that despite the existence of a few such facilities in the capital, their inadequate resources and poor condition require immediate attention from stakeholders.
“If care is not taken, we risk losing all the works of people who have toiled and done so much for our culture, vanishing into oblivion maybe in the next 10 or 20 years.
"In addition to that, it is very worrying that people interested in exploring the country’s music heritage receive very little or no information because there are no well-resourced facilities to cater for such needs,” he lamented.
He expressed concern over the lack of accessible information for those seeking to delve into Ghana’s musical past and compared the situation to countries where historical records are easily available in specialised stores and libraries.
“When you go to other places, you can find all the records. In a place such as Cape Town in South Africa, there is a whole street housing record stores where you can walk in and get whatever you want from the 1950s, 60s, etc.
“It is happening here in Ghana, but it is in Accra Central. Sometimes, one must go to the Arts Centre to find some of these records. However, access should not be restricted to certain communities. There should be an opening up for people to begin to tap into some of this information," Trigmatic has stated.
Trigmatic stated that with the support of policymakers and stakeholders in establishing music museums and libraries, the past would be protected and future generations of artistes would be inspired to continue making music.
This, he believes, would eventually solidify Ghana’s role as a key player in African music and culture.
ID/ ADG
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