Legendary Ghanaian actress Grace Omaboe and ace highlife musician Amandzeba, have been named among a selected few of Ghanaian legendary personalities to receive honorary awards at the 2019 UNESCO International Mother Language Day under the slogan ‘Sanegbaa!’.
Known for the duo’s immense contribution in the fraternity of filmmaking and music, both stars will be honored for their separate roles in the preservation and promotion of Ghanaian mother language through their artworks. Grace Omaboe popularly known on screen as ‘Maame Dokono’ has been a front-runner in locally produced Ghanaian movies, which forms part of the stability the Ghana Movie industry is benefiting from currently. Her roles from the days of the popular sitcom ‘Akan Drama’ through to her single shot films with the newest crop of young filmmakers have never gone underrated when it comes to her choice and articulation of the local language in projecting the value of Ghanaian culture through film.
Highlife legend Amandzeba, also doubles as a key artiste in GH music, who has never shied away from his mother tongue language. Majority of his popular tracks which ruled the airwaves back in the days and still a favorite of many were sang in the local dialects. Notable ones amongst them include Wobge, Biako, Keteke, Baawo and many others.
The ‘Sanegbaa!’ event set to be staged at Bureau of Ghana Languages and Community Youth Cultural Centre (CYCC) at Kawukudi behind the 37 Military Hospital on February 28, will have on programme a conversational segment with Amandzeba regarding his fantastic use of Ghanaian languages in his songs, plus a sharing of old memories experiences with the cast of the 90s television series ‘Akan Drama’.
The day-long event is also scheduled to screen movies produced in Ghanaian languages and a reading carnival, which will allow several reading sessions of prose, poetry and plays all made and written in Ghanaian dialects from selected individuals/schools. In attendance will be the Minister of Tourism Arts & Culture, Hon. Catherine Ablema Afeku and a handful of creative arts lovers in Ghana and beyond.
By: Larry Adams
