National Folklore Board to launch magazine

Accra (Greater Accra) 28 May '99

The National Folklore Board of Trustees would in August launch a quarterly magazine, which would be the mouthpiece of the National Commission on Culture (NCC).

The maiden edition of the magazine, titled "The Folklore", would be under the theme "The Rites of Passage", and will feature traditional ideas on birth, puberty and marriage, among others, and the recent passing away of some prominent chiefs.

These were made known to newsmen on Thursday at a news conference in Accra to introduce the Board and explain its functions to the public and its linkage with the national development effort.

Mr Asiedu Yirenkyi, Chairman of the Board, described as "overwhelming" the response it has received from publishers invited to submit culturally oriented book titles and materials for recommendation for use in schools.

The books include old primers like "Kan me Hwe" in Twi, or "Kane mo makwe" in Ga, and "Sua Me Ansa".

"These books all form part of our cultural heritage, and the Board wants to be entrusted with these rare books. We want to preserve and save them for the present and future generations," Mr Yirenkyi said.

He said the Board already has some old high-life record albums from the 1920s to 1960s, which are being preserved, and appealed to individuals who have such records to donate them to the Board.

Mr Yirenkyi said other programmes planned by the Board include seminars to promote made-in- Ghana products, orientation for youth dance groups, story-telling competition in schools, research into festivals, and folk tales and oral history through radio broadcasts.

GRi../