Tribute To Professor William Oscar Anku

MELODIES TO THE MUSIC MASTER
(Tribute To Professor William Oscar Anku)

By Sundong Abdul-Korah (For and on behalf of the students/alumni of Nafti who were privileged to have participated in his legendary lectures on Music of Africa)

Those thrilling, soothing melodies
That lit the dull earth
Those triumphant, lyrical and rhythmical acoustics
From a gentle, genuine germ of wisdom
Compelled wings of doves
Stained with the sweat of dew
To imitate in overwhelming joy
As they flew across bloody breezes

Those flawless, deeply felt reverberations
That sent hungry wolves dancing on a forgotten stage
So that the life of the innocent lamp is spared
And the bitter enmity of the hawk and the chicken
Glamorously plunges into a perfect lasting peace
Has shrunk to a shadow’s shadow sheathed in the sand

Those hilarious hums that sparkled the starkly dark world
Persuading the despaired to discard the suicide necklace
And soaked the forgotten cemetery with ecstasy
That shiny Marble whom we loved a cherished
Has suddenly and tragically given way
For lewd loud yells to sprinkle and spill
Over our bereaved, betrayed yard
Like swift rivers onto the unsatisfied ocean

O this darkness of the tomb
Yet whose face always gazes at diurnal luminance
Is but callous, cursing arrows
Unmercifully piercing through the frozen hearts of saints

Whenever I leap into a snap sleep
Like the wink of an eyebrow
I’m always awakened by this odd enveloping silence
Silence that stares sweet melodies into coma
Prompting me to ask the whereabouts of my great teacher

Children of the moon, where’s our legend?
Haven’t you felt this sudden avoidable void?
Academia, have you seen your colleague, our friend
Professor William Anku and his sweet melodies?
Have you seen our great theorist and composer?

Now I know that faded music fades away life
But faded life shatters the wings of music like marbles on eggs
Oh Anku, your deep sleep has only sprinkled doom
All over the deep seas of joy that used to vibrate in our bellies

I’ve searched through the puzzling Anthills of Legon
And down the deepest depths of Gbadzeme-Avatime
Still I’ve not a glimpse of you
Nor heard your melodies…..those sweet echoes
Upon which the impudent croaking of leaping frogs
Give way for butterflies to display their unseen hysteria

Dear Anku, didn’t you hear Dylan’s glorious defiance?
‘Do not go gentle into that good night
Rage, rage against the dying of the light’
Yet the altitude of the magnificent candle
Quickly dissolved into invincible invisibility
What could be worse than this sudden darkness?
Silence, the anthem of our teacher’s new country
O, this bloody sweat of dew over pale, stained faces!

But in all of sleep, there’s just this one
Sleep that has persevered in wait for the good night
Good night with dark stars in the blue skies
That sleep that’s never right and never mistaken too
Whenever it slips into deep sleep
This sleep that gives birth to strange things…
Offended orphans and wandering widow (ers)
And yet it’s this same righteous sleep
That draws vividly and in rainbow colours
All our triumphs over the community’s silver canvas
Sending our progeny to sneeze out broad smiles
From their sad, warped faces in due recognition
Isn’t this the greatest hour to honour honestly?
Mr. Chameleon, colour the befitting tribute now!

Now when I peep through the past
Yes through His cloudy-piercing eye
I hear nothing but those smile of strings
From His soft, humble fingers of dexterity
Over which even demons stretch in full bliss
Rampaging like lost devils in Heaven

But after a long, courageous full blast
The blazing Sun slips into total blindness
And after a full wax, the moon winds to wane
The sweet fragrance of roses too
Is but for crickets of happy spring

Another giant academic gown has evaporated
Into luxuriance but where only remains remain in silence
Hear me Professor Anku
For your great works are bursting boldly at the seams
Brewing and storming beauty, wisdom and joy

This red carpet you’ve frankly weaved and laid
Over which the shepherd, obedient and the dedicated
Whose waxed ears he carefully placed on your milky tongue
Will always swing and swirl in momentous pride
All in praise of your glorious trajectory

Just as Easter celebration reminds us all
Of the resurrected and living Christ
So will your music and teachings feed us
With fresh breathe and insight
For the souls which create harmony among the world’s citizens
Forever remain in permanent peace
And in the basket of living history
Guiding and protecting all orphans
And all those who vomit compassion on trembling souls

So sing Hosanna, beautiful orphans of the earth
As we remain forever in queue, sometimes longing
Wailing to join our parents and great ancestors
Pegged at that peaceful piece of silence
So blessed with unlimited and undiluted rest

Master Anku, as we say farewell thee
Your works are lyrical and worth remembering
Can I hear those sweet barks once more?
Those sugar cries of xylophones, seperewa, mbira,
Yes, drums, guitar, harmonica, premprensua
Can I hear it from that beseeched horizon called Legon?
Deprived and orphaned citizens of Gbadzeme-Avatime
Are your dirges as melodious as the legend’s melodies?
Open your mouths wide; beat soft-harsh the drums
Sing loud and lustily and laudable enough
To soothe all throbbing souls under this bleached sun
And dull halved-moon