Spirit Alive

Today I began to choreograph Spirit Alive for the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival working with a Lamban theme and other influences. Kwame and I have already had one meeting on the original music he is writing for me and I composed some chants as well today. I worked with Mary who dances with Jiwani. It' s great to work with Mary.
Jenny Crober and her family dropped in from Elora and I worked with her on Dr. E. Amu's composition of 1928, "Onipa da wo ho so," literally "Man rest on your self", translated "Man discipline yourself" or perhaps, "Be still". I helped her with translation and pronunciation. Twi which the Akans speak is a tonal language.
Dr Ephraim Amu was my godfather and a unique man if there ever was one. He was a man of simplicity and yet not simple; a man of humility, discipline and strength of character and altogether purposeful, who lived his life with utter conviction. His music continues to inspire Ghanaians to higher living. Today brought back memories of his voice, his conversations and his uprightness. I remembered how much he loved fried yam and pepper dip. I also remembered his unofficial national anthem, "Yen ara Asase ni," played at the close of TV broadcasting each day in Ghana!