By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, May 15, GNA – Mr Akunu Dake, a Development Consultant and Cultural Icon, has reiterated the importance of promoting Ghana’s indigenous arts and culture for national development.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he acknowledged the progress made in the Ghanaian creative sector but said the country could do more to compete in the global market rather than remain consumer of foreign culture.
“I want to see that our nation pays more attention to culture and its development. And also that culture informs development. Unfortunately, we don’t. We see culture as artefacts, as music, as dance. It’s much bigger than that,” he stated.
After more than four decades in Ghana’s cultural landscape, the expert in project and event management noted that indigenous resources, including languages, music, dance, value systems, traditional health methods, and food, should be leveraged for job creation and economic growth.
Mr Dake, 67, was the first Executive Director of the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (PANAFEST), which started in 1992, bringing together Africans on the continent and the diaspora to celebrate Pan-Africanism and cultural unity.
He recalled his experience in coordinating the first three editions of PANAFEST (1992, 1994, and 1997), highlighting how cultural events could boost domestic tourism and generate revenue.
“PANAFEST 1992 was quite a major event not only in performance, but also in intellectual intercourse…It brought together, performers, intellectuals, and visual artists, among other creatives,” he said.
“It was a huge experience. We had an 18-hour concert at the Independence (Black Star) Square.”
“The biggest challenge was that, I was pretty young. We were young people that were delivering [the project].”
“We had our own difficulties…not everything went very well. But we learned very quickly. The important thing was that there was interest…People came here [to Ghana] and they enjoyed themselves.”
Mr Dake, also the Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Development, an event management consult, maintained that arts, culture, tourism and other indigenous resources should address the fundamental needs of citizens, while leaders continued to project Ghanaian values.
“Leaders, whether traditional or political, need to use the opportunity they have to project what we have as a people…The more we do that, the more we are respected,” he said.
Born John Darkey, the outspoken veteran from Peki Dzake in the Volta Region reverted to his indigenous name Akunu Dake in his early 20s, to align with his Pan-African values.
“Growing up, I thought that John was a bit too foreign for me. A bit too English. If I’m trying to espouse what is indigenous, I should set the example,” he said.
The same principle, he noted, guided his choice of attire as he stopped wearing suit and tie in the early 1980s after attending an international conference, where African delegates wore traditional attire, while he appeared in a suit.
“I came back to Ghana and never wore a tie…I don’t have a tie, and I don’t have a suit…I think that, as much as possible, I need to portray myself more Ghanaian,” he said, gesturing to his Ghanaian outfit.
“Sometimes we think that when we wear the foreign clothes, then we are respected. I’m sorry to say that we are ridiculed…We should use the technology available to project our own. That is the era in which we are.”
Mr Dake attended Okuapeman Secondary School in the 1970s and proceeded to the University of Ghana, where he studied English and Theatre.
He has a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in African Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon.
He is also a Fellow of the Salzburg Seminar, Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg, Austria.
As a patron of the Ghana Culture Forum, he continues to work on events, conferences, though he is “very choosy” about what projects he takes on.
Asked about his legacy, the father of three said he was writing his memoirs.
Outside work, he walks, bikes, and occasionally plays tennis.
He is married to Afua Dake, a retired headmistress.
Mr Dake was one time the Acting Deputy Secretary (then known as the Minister), Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Director of Programmes of the National Commission on Culture, National Coordinator of the Community Youth Cultural Programme and Director of Education, Research, and International Relations of the National Youth Organising Commission.
He was the Event Management Consultant of the Africa-Liberation Week Celebration, organised by the Africa Unionand the Government of Ghana (from 22nd to 25th May, 2010)to mark the Centenary of the birth of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah,Ghana’s First President.
In 2001, he was the Consultant and Africa Performance Programme Co-ordinator of the Commonwealth Foundation Commonwealth People’s Festival held in Brisbane, Australia and also the Consultant/National Organiser of the Commonwealth Foundation 15th Commonwealth Writers Prize held in Accra in the same year, in addition to many event management and professional portfolios.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Ernest Nutsugah
[email protected]