Samuel Kwabena Nyama lives in New Asonomase, a town situated near the Asante capital Kumase in the centre of Ghana. 77 years old Nyama plays the rural form of palm wine music, the so called Akan-Blues (Odonson) which developed when the new music stiles from the coast met with the Asante recreational music. His lyrics are full of proverbs from the Akan culture.

"In my songs I am teaching moral and they are so touching, that if somebody has a knife in his hand and is about to kill somebody, he will put down his knife."

A barber by profession, Kwabena Nyama started his musical career in the 30s, when he was taught how to play the guitar by an old man who used to play across the street from Nyama's barbering shop. The tutorial fee consisted in one tin of Churchman cigarettes and one guitar, which actually he bought from a UTC store. Nyama in those days had assumed that one day he might be a famous musician. But even though he taught famous Ghanaian musicians how to play the guitar, he himself never acquired national fame. As early as 1953 he recorded four of his songs with UTC which were released on the Parlophone label the following year. Despite his high age he is a regionally renowned artist who is invited to perform during funerals - the most important social events in Ghanaian culture - throughout the Asante region. Last year his compact disc "Sunday Monday", produced by Thomas Dorn from Paris, was released and in January 2002 Nyama performed at the DuBois centre in Accra during the launching of a project and compact disc with historical recordings of Highlife music made by UTC between 1931 and 1957.

In the workshops from November to December 2002 in Witten, Basel and Zürich, Kwabena Nyama will teach the Accordion/Concertina as it is played in Ghanaian palm wine music. He will also help out in the guitar workshop where he will teach the Odonson stile of palm wine music. Nyama will be accompanied by two members of his band who will also be present during the workshops.

Contact:
Samuel Kwabena Nyama
c/o Thomas Dorn
Email: Okumba(at)aol.com

"Sunday Monday" Musique de vin de palme - Palm Wine Music
Buda Musique 1979352

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Arlt V. "Palmwein und Popmusik" Basler Magazin 11; 16. März 2002 (German)

Kwabena Nyama in his living room with band members
© 2000 Thomas Dorn