Rosemary Quarcoo, Phyllis Forster, Jacqueline Ogoe, Mercy Ampofowah Osei, Victoria Ghanney, Priscilla Agbodo (2023)

The study looked at the acceptability of cloth nose masks produced during the outbreak of COVID 19 in a public University in Ghana. This study looked into staff consumers’ views and experiences with the cloth nose mask produced by the Clothing Production Unit (CPU) of a public university in Ghana. The production quality, durability, comfortability, ease of care and acceptability of the cloth nose was assessed with the intent to use findings to guide future production. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. A self-developed structured questionnaire was used for detail data collection from one hundred (101) respondents who were purposively selected and conveniently reached. The findings generally presented high acceptance level for the cloth nose masks. Specifically, respondents rated sample two (46) and one (44) as the most preferred designs of the cloth nose mask. Also, respondents found the cloth nose masks quality in terms of production (M=3.84), design (M=3.98), comfort of usage (M=3.77), durability (M=3.97), easiness in caring (M=3.95). The study concludes that the cloth nose masks produced by CPU meet consumer expectations and acceptance. This implies that if production is guided by improved practices the cloth nose masks would serve its intended purpose of controlling the spread of covid-19. Therefore, this survey recommends the adoption of the cloth nose masks to supplement other types recommended for use by World Health Organization (WHO) whilst maintaining and/or improving standards of production. 

Despite series of anti-social vices policies and programmes initiated by governmental and non-governmental agencies, complemented by musical efforts of some proactive Nigerian women musicians to curb the threatening vices, the protracted menace still remains opprobrium. In view of this, a reflective nostalgia for impactful past musical works becomes essential to salvage the present time being ravaged by social vices in order to secure the future focus of a transformed society. Therefore, the present study intends to examine two (2) remarkable evergreen anthems ‘Ọmọ mi seun rere’ by Christy Essien Igbokwe and ‘Ọmọ de o ẹ gbọ oun ti mo fẹ sọ’ by Funmi Adams to reminisce or rehash motherhood Yoruba anthems for positive transformation. The research design employed in this study is ex-post facto to determine the motherhood instruction in the two selected anthems for positive transformation. The two (2) purposively selected anthems were analysed, pointing out the motherhood guide instruction therein based on Lewin’s 1940 Change Theory as used by Sherri (2012) and Petiprin (2016). In addition, discography and library materials such as books, journal articles and internet sources were consulted. Findings show that the hub of the two (2) songs is basically to prepare and mould children for future endeavour. More so, social vices were not only outrightly condemned in the songs, but consequences of venturing into them were exposed. The study concludes that being in the lives of children today is the surest way of being in their memories tomorrow. This is why the study recommends that musical works that condemn vices and commend virtue which have gone into oblivion especially by women musicians, need to be revived, so as to complement policies and programmes initiated by governmental and non-governmental agencies in curbing social vices in Nigeria.

It is observed that gender imbalance in Nigerian popular music studies, especially Juju music, over the years, was as a result of male chauvinism which is prevalent in popular music scene. This has contributed to the little scholarly attention paid on the female Juju artistes. Therefore, this paper assesses the emergence of female Juju artistes in Southwestern Nigeria. This is with a view to providing information on the involvement of female Juju artistes which has been largely neglected in research based on liberal feminist theory of Hook (1984). Both primary and secondary sources of data were employed for the study. The primary data includes unstructured oral interview with two purposively selected females and a male Juju artiste; Ayotunde Balogun, Titilayo Oguntoyinbo and Admiral Dele Abiodun. Interview conducted with the male Juju artiste, being one of the living legends of the genre, is to further unearth the period of emergence of the first female Juju artiste. The study also examines one song each of the two purposively selected female artistes. The secondary source in form of books, journal articles, magazine and the internet were also consulted. Findings show that the appearance of Queen Oladunni Oduguwa (popularly called Mummy Juju) and her Decency Unity Orchestra Juju band in the early 1970s, marked the period of emergence of female artistes in the Juju music performance. The study concludes that the presence of female Juju artistes in musicological studies had reflected gender equity in the Juju music scene, thereby increasing women’s opportunity for liberation in the African society.

 The cultural practices in many African societies are often misconstrued as idolatrous practices. While some of the cultural practices are counter-productive, many others intelligently showcase the science of the African forebears in the field of nature conservation, specifically, the sound management of landmass, water bodies, flora, fauna, and aquatic species. Adopting the PRISMA systematic review, Ninety-Six published literature on cultural practices and traditional ecological knowledge for natural resource management such as taboo systems, cosmological belief systems, and totems in some African ethnic societies were scholarly analysed and interpreted, with inferences drawn for contemporary use in the management of the scarce resources in Africa. The findings indicate that these productive cultural practices were cleverly formulated by the African forebears to prevent the wanton looting of nature’s resources while jealously and sustainably protecting them for the current and future generations. The study contends that the restricted times, number, and aspects of nature’s resources for harvesting, the affiliation of nature’s resources to vengeful deities and respected ancestors in the society as well as the earmarking of particular spots as sacred groves are scientific strategies set by the African forebears to sustainably manage the resources in their environment for posterity. Therefore, such traditional instruments for nature resource management must be constantly included in policies and strategies in modern biodiversity and environmental policies for African countries.

This paper examines the determining factors responsible for the idea of sacredness or secularity of a song, the relationship between the sacred and secular, and how the sacred and secular interplay in Ghanaian music. We focus particularly on the sacred and secular binary as reflected in what may be termed ‘Ghanaian Choral Highlife’, as both choral and highlife music initially emerged as distinct sacred and secular musical categories respectively. The research methodology in this work involves data from both primary and secondary sources including interviews, musical works and libraries. The musical elements of selected compositions are analysed, and compared to ascertain their relationship, areas of similarities and differences. Major findings in this study reveal the close relationship between the sacred and the secular in Ghanaian music and how both musical genres influence each other. It also reveals how this influence transcends into Ghanaian Choral  Highlife music. Based on our findings we argue that Choral highlife has come to stay as a result of the relationship between the sacred and secular, that is, between Ghanaian choral music and Ghanaian highlife music.

Deciphering the fascinating history behind a redesigned Takoradi Technical University’s (T.T.U) heraldic crest as well as the secret meaning of its symbols and colours make it significant in heraldry. This heraldic crest has been a depiction of forms such as cogwheel, open book, sea, Adinkra symbol, fonts and colours. This article, therefore, aims to underline the hidden secrets and meanings embodied in the redesigned and sculpted heraldic crest of Takoradi Technical University after Government’s conversion of Polytechnics in Ghana into Technical Universities. Through intrinsic and conceptual statements, the paper projects the artistic and esoteric features of Takoradi Technical University’s heraldic crest in an augmentation to commemorate the institution’s sovereignty as a symbol of excellence in technical and vocational education. The ramification of newly created institutional heraldry revealed a symbolism crowning the promotion of industrialisation and economic development for the Western Region and Ghana in general through manpower training and action research. This is intended to provide support to industry and commerce in the areas of human resource and information development.

The study seeks to contribute to the royalty and unity of the Akuapem State through ideation and execution of textile regalia for Akuapem state paramountcy. The study is grounded on the Studio-Based research design employing the Universal Design Methodology taking inspiration from Akuapem state symbols and the chieftaincy structure with ‘unity in purpose’ as a design philosophy. The results revealed unique textile regalia consisting of a figurative palanquin and Triple-Headed colossal umbrella. The regalia are designed with the main Akuapem State symbol, the five (5) divisional symbols and the eight (8) Akan totems, which do not only reaffirm the unity of the State but also define the hierarchy of the chieftaincy system in the Akuapem State. Akuapem is a major ethnic group in the Eastern Region of Ghana, which consists of sixteen (16) different towns and kingship with rich cultural tradition and unique symbolism, which the study establishes could be harnessed for socio-economic development of the state. However, the schisms among the chiefs witnessed over the years have been the major setback to the developmental agenda of Akuapem State. The study ideated symbolic textile regalia to serve as a unified force to address the schism among the state for progressive development. The study recommends the adoption of the triple-headed umbrella regalia for the paramount chief and the double-headed umbrella for the divisional chiefs. This is to pave way for the sub-chiefs to use the single-headed umbrella for easy identification and hierarchy and status of the various chiefs during festivals and state functions.

Avihɛwo (dirges) play pivotal roles in the performance of funerals among the people of Tafi traditional area in Ghana. However there has been grave concern about the decline in the performance of avihɛwo in recent times in the Tafi Traditional area. This study explored the factors that brought about decline in the performance of avihɛwo in contemporary times in the area. An ethnographic study was adopted in a purely qualitative paradigm. Forty (40) women dirge singers were sampled through purposive sampling technique for the study. Interview, focus group discussion and observation were used to collect data for the study. Qualitative data gathered from the respondents were analysed using thematic analysis and responses were categorized into themes. The study revealed a decline in the live performance of dirges in Tafi traditional area. Almost three decades ago, the live performance of avihɛwo was a prominent feature of all funeral celebrations in Tafi, however the situation is changing. The dirge singers expressed their emotions, grief and condolences through their songs for the deceased person and the bereaved family. This phenomenon has been linked to the ban on wakes by some religious leaders in the area due to Christian beliefs, transformation in burial and funeral rites due to acculturation, modernity and technological advancement, and youth disinterest in dirge singing. Historically, dirges are exclusively performed to epitomize pain due to death, but a myriad of factors threaten its live performance in recent times in Tafi traditional area. There is the need for traditional authorities to encourage live performance of dirges during funerals and also sensitize the people to remove biases and misconceptions against dirges in the area. Finally, lead singers and cantors in the Tafi traditional area to gesture, choreograph and interpret dirges to the audience during funerals in order to rejuvenate its live performance.

This study examines how speakers of Ghanaian languages construct their identities in a multi-cultural Higher Educational Institution (HEI) in Ghana. Situated in the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), the data were elicited through interviews, observations and focus group discussions from 12 purposively selected participants from a public university in Ghana. The data were thematically analysed and the findings revealed that speakers of Ghanaian languages construct two kinds of identities: public and private. Both strands are constructed through identification processes that include proximity to culture, massive local presence and corresponding hegemonic outlook, de-ethnicisation and identity negotiation, and self-branding in virtual spaces. The study concludes on the existence of a homologous relationship between language users and identity construction from both stands of the essentialist and non-essentialist perspectives. It recommends efforts at minimizing stereotypical behaviours of ‘othering’ and ‘categorization’ in HEIs on the bases of a person’s ethnicity, cultural diversity, or languages spoken in an era of internationalisation and cross-cultural teaching and learning.

There have been series of concerns regarding Western wind instrumental instruction in Ghana mainly due to the lack of comprehensive wind band pedagogy curriculum in Ghanaian universities and Colleges of Education (CoE). The consequence of this lack is noticeable among both formal and informal wind instrumental ensembles across the country. Employing a mixed-method design, this research examined strategies that could lead to effective and efficient band rehearsals. Data was gathered concerning the proportion of instructional time spent on teaching techniques/skills and concepts, on active music making, and rehearsal management. From a review of the available literature on best rehearsal practices, new ways were designed to improve instrumental rehearsal in an informal setting. Findings revealed that the amount of time spent on the fundamentals and active music making increased over the course of the study thereby resulting in high technical capabilities and growth of both students and instructor. It was therefore recommended that Ghanaian band instructors work to increase their knowledge of instruments, including good playing technique, the ability to model effectively on a variety of instruments, and should develop a teaching style that is most appropriate to their learners.