Accra (Greater Accra) 22 March
2001
Dr Nicholas Kofie, Dean of the
Faculty of Arts, University of Cape Coast, said on Thursday that stakeholders
in the music industry should have all their musical work and publications
assigned international standard numbers in order to give them world-wide
recognition.
Ghanaian music needs to gain
recognition on the international market as countries like Cote d'Ivoire and
Cameroon, he said adding; "this can only be done when they meet the
requirements of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)".
Dr Kofie said this when he met
stakeholders in the music industry as well as members of the Ghana Library
Board in Accra.
The meeting discussed the
existence of the International Standard Music Number (ISMN).
Dr Kofie explained that other
countries gain international recognition because they use the international
style of writing, which is not being used by Ghanaian musicians.
He said all musical works produced
in the country should be documented to enable researchers to gain access to
these pieces whenever they want to.
Dr Willie Anku, lecturer at the
Music Department, University of Ghana, urged composers to write good songs
instead of profane ones and package them nicely.
He said there are long essays and
theses by students gathering dust on the shelves of the universities, which,
when documented, will be of good use to the industry.
Dr Anku called for the
establishment of an endowment fund for the publication of old songs by Dr
Ephraim Amu, Professor Kwabena Nketia and others and given international
standard numbers.
"These songs when well
documented can be given to schools and libraries and also sold on the
international market," he said.
Mrs Genevieve Baah of the Ghana
Standards Board said under the ISO, ISMN system shall be administered by the
international registered authority appointed for this purpose and by other
appropriate national or regional agencies.
GRi../
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