Ghana's concert party theatre

212 Pages·2001·4.197 MB·English

by  Cole, Catherine M

Acknowledgments i
Ghana’s
Concert
Party
Theatre
ii Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments iii
Ghana’s
Concert
Party
Theatre
Catherine M. Cole
Indiana
University
Press BLOOMINGTON AND INDIANAPOLIS
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© 2001 by Catherine M. Cole
All rights reserved
Portions of this book have been published in earlier versions:
Chapter 2 appeared as “Reading Blackface in West Africa: Won-
ders Taken for Signs,” Critical Inquiry 23, no. 1 (1996): 183–215.
Chapter 6 appeared as “‘This is actually a good interpretation of
modern civilisation’: Popular Theatre and the Social Imaginary in
Ghana, 1946–66,” Africa 67, no. 3 (1997): 363–388.
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association
of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions consti-
tutes the only exception to this prohibition.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Perma-
nence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cole, Catherine M.
Ghana’s concert party theatre / Catherine M. Cole.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-253-33845-X (cl : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-253-21436-X
(pa : alk. paper)
1. Performing arts—Ghana—History—20th century. 2. Travel-
ing theater—Ghana—History—20th century. 3. Music-halls (Vari-
ety theaters, cabarets, etc.)—Ghana—History—20th century. I.
Title.
PN2990.4 .C65 2001
792.7’09667’0904—dc21
00-044962
1 2 3 4 5 06 05 04 03 02 01
For Terry Cole, who left this world just as
this book and my son Aaron were entering it.
And to Kwame, for being there throughout.
vi Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments vii
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Note on Orthography xi
1 Introduction 1
2 Reading Blackface in West Africa
WONDERS TAKEN FOR SIGNS 17
3 “The Rowdy Lot Created the Usual Disturbance”
CONCERTS AND EMERGENT PUBLICS, 1895–1927 53
4 “Ohia Ma Adwennwen,” or “Use Your Gumption!”
THE PRAGMATICS OF PERFORMANCE, 1927–1945 78
5 Improvising Popular Traveling Theatre
THE POETICS OF INVENTION 104
6 “This Is Actually a Good Interpretation of Modern Civilization”
STAGING THE SOCIAL IMAGINARY, 1946–1966 133
Epilogue 159
Notes 163
Bibliography 173
Index 187
viii Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments ix
Acknowledgments
Without the generosity of Ghanaians artists who shared their knowledge about
the history, practices, and cultural significance of the concert party, this project
would not have been possible. Several performance groups were particularly in-
strumental to my research, including the Adehyeman Concert Party, the Jag-
uar Jokers, Kakaiku’s Concert Party, the Kumapim Royals, and the members of
the Ghana Concert Parties Union who performed at the National Theatre. The
ananses3m group at Kwansakrom also kindly allowed a storytelling session to be
videotaped.
For granting formal interviews, I particularly want to thank Idrisu Abdullahi,
Victoria Adoi, Robert Jamieson Amartey, Joseph Benjamin Amoah, Akwasi Am-
pofo-Adjei, Bob S. Ansah, Sandy Arkhurst, Emmanuel Baidoe, Y. B. Bampoe,
David Kwame Blankson, Nathaniel Ekcw Browne, Francis Edward Cudjoe, Law-
rence Cudjoe, Romeo Ampofo Dadah, Beatrice and Kojo Dadson, Joe Eiyson,
Atto Essien, George Benjamin Grant, K. Acquaah Hammond, Kwame Mbia
Hammond, Samuel Kwame Koomson, Essi Kom, James Kwaku Narkwa, Koo
Nimo, Issac Kweku Ntama, Kwabena Onyina, Grace Adom Oppong, Moses K.
Oppong Jr., Moses K. Oppong II, Kwaw Prempeh, Margaret Quainoo, Bob Vans,
Augustus S. Williams, and A. B. O. Zynenwartel.
The University of Ghana’s Institute for African Studies, Language Centre,
and School of Performing Arts provided research affiliation and access to librar-
ies, archives, and staff and faculty members. Among the many language experts
who taught me Akan and helped with transcriptions and translations, I especially