ANALYSES OF SELECTED WORKS OF KENN KAFUI

ABSTRACT 

Art music composers from Ghana have been working seriously since the colonial days to develop the genre till today. As every composer has his own style of writing art music, Kenn Kafui, who is the subject of this study has his unique styles  of  writing  art  music.  The  study  sought  to  find  out  if  innate  experiences (whether  tonal,  melodic,  rhythmic,  timbral)  from  ones  environment  enhance creativity and innovation of new musical works. Three  major  works  of  Kenn  Kafui,  a  Lecturer  in  Composition  at  the University  of  Ghana,  Legon  were  selected  for  analyses  to  expose  his  style  of writing  art  music.  It  came  out  that the  composer  liked  the  use  of  African  music resources–melodic,  harmonic,  rhythmic,  form,  timbre  and  their  generative processes–in his choral and instrumental compositions. It was also revealed that as a prolific composer he has contributed to the development of art music in Ghana. He writes pieces for voices–solo with pianoforte accompaniment, SSAA, SATB, TTBB and double choir. In addition, he writes for piano, the orchestra and also a sonata for drums. As  an  ambassador  of  Ghanaian  art  music  Kenn  Kafui  attended  several conferences  to  present  his  works.  Among  the  eminent  scholar-composers  he interacted  with  are  Akin  Euba,  Carl  H.  Stochausen,  William  Chapman  Nyaho, Edwin Ferguson, Ton de Leeuw, Nigel Osbourne, El-Dabh, Maxine Franklin and Andrei  Eschai.  As  a  teacher-composer  he  has  nurtured  young  talents  like  C.  M. Placca, Sita Korley and David K. Kafui.