Tribute to Willie Anku

He always called me “Danny.” The last call I remember was during a time when a mutual “friend” visited him but to take advantage of Anku’s position as head of the Department of Music, Legon. Anku came out and called to me, “Danny….what do you think? …just came and wanted me to….”

During his last years as undergraduate music major at Legon, Anku specialized in violin and composed on the side. I was his junior, then at Legon. A year after finishing his music studies at Legon, he was posted to Anlo Secondary School in the Volta Region as music tutor. Since my former Keta Seconday School was not far from Anseco (i.e., Anlo Secondary Schoo), I asked him to join me perform at a Speech-and-Prize-Giving Day at Ketascho. He would play the violin and I would accompany him on the piano.

We rehearsed “Cherry Ripe” and one of his arrangements of songs of the well-known indigenous Anlo-Ewe composer the late Vinorkor Yeremiah Akpalu. Many of the attendants at that 1970s’ event still remember and commend our performance, especially the Akpalu arrangements. (My former music tutor, Mr. Cornelius Doe-Williams, however, remarked to me privately after the performance that the Western piece did not appeal much to the audience and that the Akpalu song was remarkable. One of Ankus’ staff members, one Mr. Amegashie, a physical education specialist had a special interest in the “Cherry Ripe,” however. Amegashie himself had special interests in “academic music.”)

It was in this context of Ketascho performance that I got to experience more of Anku’s generosity and creativity. He asked me to accompany him to Ho, where his father and rest of the family lived. He wanted to collect some music scores and I met his father, who was then the manager of the E.P. Church Bookstore in Ho. After the Ho trip he hosted me in his residence near Anloga, very close to the Anseco compound, in preparation for the Ketascho performance.

Anku’s main violin teacher was Virginia Christopherson, whose husband, Larry Christopherson, also taught winds at Legon. Both teachers became very fond of Anku and the last time I met Larry at an African Studies conference, he surely asked of Anku.

After our doctoral studies in the U.S. we both returned to teach in the Department of Music, Legon. (I returned in 1986 but do not remember the exact year of Anku’s return.) Anku continued to practice and perform on the violin, including arranging and performing in public and private concerts. For example, he drew on his extended skills and knowledge in computer technologies and electronic composition to compose and/or arrange pieces for the violin and automated electronic accompaniment. Thus, in a memorial concert for the late Ghanaian pianist and lecturer, Ms Alice Nyamafo Chapman on October 25, 1989 items 9a and 9b of the program were:
9. a “Dagati Incantations for xylophone, digital interface [computer] and tape sync. Willie Anku (digital sampler); Joseph Kobom (xylophone)”

b ” Edelweiss” from the Sound of Music by Richard Rogers-- Willie Anku (violin) computer accompaniment realized by Willie Anku

Additionally, during a private concert hosted by a Sierra Leonean who was World Bank official in Ghana and whose wife, Kitty Fadlu-Dean (was piano teacher at Legon) Anku arranged and performed pieces on equipment similar to those in 9a.

Much has already been written on Anku’s scholarly and creative works, but I personally would like to reiterate his business acumen, which he seamlessly combined with his teaching and scholarly duties. For example, he developed his computer skills to a desktop-publishing level, where he designed and produced the trial copies of the newer hymnbooks for the E. P. Church. He gave me a set of these trial copies and each time I visited him at his house, he had full-time employee working on that particular project, not counting his music production experiments. I am also very pleased to be among the first individuals with whom Anku shared his draft copies of “Structural Set Analysis,” including the original audio cassette.

It is very easy to see these mundane and yet special moments as very meaningful, human, down-to-earth encounters and comradeship with Anku; they will last in the memories of individuals far and wide. May his soul rest in peace, producing a much louder and yet glorious music in the face of the Maker.

Daniel Kodzo "Paga" Avorgbedor, PhD