THE MESSAGE; A Kwame Nkrumah Story.

For the past one year, I`ve been walking on this highway to go to campus. And I`ve almost always, been captivated by beautiful works of arts. I`ve also been longing to write about them. But I did not want to write an underwhelming article about such overwhelming art products. That is to say, I`ve been greatly inspired by them such that I feel I could write better articles than A Letter to Mahama

I am not writing this to tell you how passionate I am about arts (and technology too) so please skip this paragraph before you get to know how I`ve missed lectures only to watch Photoshop CS6 video tutorials from Lynda.com (I hope you didn’t!). 

Along the Kanda Highway in Greater Accra you`ll find amazing murals. These paintings seem to question the under-development of Ghana or Africa. I have tried (so far) to decode the exact messages the artistes are trying to get across but I will not tell you. I won’t because “what you see depends on where you stand”. Also because, I have been able to get the artiste for explanation and that is what I will be sharing with you. You might want to get your thinking-caps “On” for a while.

First I got in touch with a 23 year old dark-colored gentleman. Not-tall-and-not-short looking and down to earth, like you`d expect of true artistes. He was very receptive and not seemed to be disturbed by my cynical attitude. He`s name is Rufai Zakari. 

I wanted this article to be didactic so I felt the need to know him better. My late literature teacher from High School will say“Read about the poet and you`ll understand his works!” So I managed to get to know his house, I went there several times to get personal with him.

Rufai Zakari was born in Accra, Nima in 1990. His works revolves around the hardships of urban life and the ills of over-consumption. He uses Cubism to reference the human beings and high-rise structures that populate this oppressive landscape, layering forms, symbols and discarded objects – like milk-tins, buttons, fabric, plastic bags and clay – upon abstract patterns.

Rufai apprenticed under senior Nima artistes Mozzay, Tijay and Nicolas Wayo. And then furthered his education at Ghanatta College of Arts and graduated in 2011.

He has participated in various exhibitions in Canada and United States (Miami), and had had a solo exhibition at the Novotel Hotel in Accra.

Rufai does different genres of painting. He does abstract, graffiti, Murals, etc., and is very inventive. I saw this graffiti he was working on, and several abstract paintings he had done on canvas.

“I was inspired by the beautiful colors of nature and the good culture of my people within Africa.” he said when I asked, what inspired him to do painting? “I was an apprentice with Mozzay and later continued my education at Ghanatta College.” he said.

For most of the youth in this community, money (or poverty) has mostly been a deterrent factor. Dreams are easily shattered. And talents, traded for the quest to amass wealth and pleasure. For some of the youth, Internet fraud has been an alternative. Only a handful such as Rufai could be found determined and dedicated to their God-given talent. You can call it “arts over keyboard”. “I don’t think I can give up on something I am very passionate about… my work is not for fun or commercial. It serves as an education and motivation… giving back to society! But I do have a plan of going commercial.”  He told me.

Below is the image of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Well, it is an image but not made of pixels. What you are seeing is a masterpiece of work produced by Rufai with black plastic rubber bags. The Artwork “Vision out of plastic”, a portrait of the first President, Mr. Osagyefo, was made out of used and recycled black plastic bags (6x9 feet). Yes, believe it or yes! And the message is very clearly written around it.

“My paintings revolve around the hardships of urban life and the ills of over-consumption” He said. “That is the motive behind my decision to use rubber bags”. “Why did you choose Dr. Kwame Nkrumah?” I asked. “Nkrumah, besides being a role model to me, is a man with vision… And I think I bear that kind of sensation too. That is why I chose him for this particular works.” He added.

One work that captivates motorists and pedestrians is “THE MESSAGE”. “The message” is a mural with rather a complex meaning than I could explain in this article. 

“Nkrumah appeared to me in a dream and was lamenting about Ghana and Africa`s current socio-economic situation. In that dream I saw Kwame Nkrumah… as he spoke to me, worried about the under-development of this continent. So as an artiste the easiest and quickest medium for me to communicate this to the masses is through my art. So I called upon my friends from NiMA MUHIMMANCHI ARTS who helped me to make this manifest.”

Open your minds (and maybe your hearts) to digest the message.

From the left, reiterates the attainment of independence by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. In sight is Dr. Kwame Nkrumah delivering the famous independence speech in 1957 at the Polo Grounds in Accra (now, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum).

That is followed by our Natural resources which include cocoa, gold, oil, manganese, and bronze, etc.

At the right of the wall are Dr. Nkrumah and some of his achievements. The Adomi Bridge and Akosombo Dam represents the numerous achievements of the First President of the country. 

 

 


In the middle is the Akan symbol; Sankofa. It means “to look back and recapture the past in order to move forward; so we can understand why (or how) we came to be were and who we are today”. The symbol is that of a bird whose head is faced in the opposite direction of its body. This emphasizes the fact that even though the bird is moving forward, it occasionally makes it a point to inspect or return to its past.

“Nkrumah is telling us to go back and make very good use of our natural resources and to depend on them for our good development. If He was able to achieve all these in a short while, we too can do and even do better” He said.  So I asked “Is that the symbolism you are trying to portray?” “Not Only, But that was Nkrumah`s words.” He retorted.

One thing that cannot be overlooked is Nkrumah`s facial expression. He is obviously infuriated and dismayed at our attitudes as a people; African people for that matter. Ghana is falling or has fallen and Nkrumah is watching with sadness and wished he could do something about it.

The thought of our lethargic attitude to reading and how I`ll get people to read this awesome story made me ask him a question. “What is the response so far? Are Ghanaians appreciating the arts enough?”. “The response is positive… It was hard from the beginning but now getting better. Depending on the kind of message you send across… from the people around you and … branch out to the rest of the world. I`ve had very respected personalities here to view the work during the 6th March celebrations this year. Mr. Abu Sankara of C.P.P was here… ” He responded.

Maybe you should be thanked for reading up to this point. You are a true arts lover. Thank You!!!

Our last dialogue:

“Do you do anything besides painting?” I asked.

“No.” He answered.

If you weren’t painting, what would you have been doing?” I asked again.

“I don’t know. And if there would, It has to do with arts.” He said.

I asked “What are the challenges involved?”

“Getting the understanding of people towards arts… And I think the solution is… and this is to every artiste… doing things that are related to the life of people in your community.” He commented.

“What advice would you give to up-and-coming artiste, especially from this community, like me?” I asked.

 “Get education… and be strong in everything you do and be inspired by others… and have passion for what you do.” He replied.

“Are you anywhere on the Social Media where I can add you?” I asked

“I`m everywhere, quite dormant though… But I use my real name… RUFAI ZAKARI or Rufai.arts” He revealed

After our last meeting I knew this could be a longer article if I meet him again. But I was feeling alright because my curiosity had been satisfied. And I hope yours have too. I am yet to find another must-tell story like this to write about. Something that would benefit society and propel Africa`s development. Stories like Rufai`s. Stories, that needs to be told.

@fahd_mahama  FACEBOOK: Fahd Mahama, Rufai Zakari

Chase Forever Pulled Me Away from The Finish Line.

When this year begun, the video that got my attention was Dee Money`s Finish Line. And just recently another one took that attention away. The Video I`ll give Best Art Direction to, is this one. I think North Productions is giving Phamous Philms a run for their money. Camera angles was just something else. I also like the nostalgic feeling of the pictures which supports the lyrics.  Published on Aug 18, 2014 Artist: Chase Forever Featuring Samini Song Title: Pulling Me Down Produced by Gafacci Directed by David Nicol-sey Label: LFO Group worldwide

The Ummah

He didn't grow poor, he didn't grow rich
Sometimes, Yawmul Eid he had only fish
His ambition is to be a Muallim, to teach
But as he was growing, he faced remiss
Was he successful? let the ummah answer this

Every weekend, it`s loud on our streets
On a second thought, the pieces of cloths they`ve bought
Could have bought books and prevented the F9 he got
But instead, we chose looks over books
He couldn't go to college, so he joined the crooks

He was just a juvenile in his prime
With no desire in cyber-crime
What he needed was wasted like leisure
So he reached for the keyboard to amass treasure
Let our leaders answer this

The ummah, the ummah, the ummah
What if we had our own Madaaris and clinics
Why don't we leave our slums and join the discussions
Let us not remain unheard critics
Else, when the battle gets tough, we will find no medics

Are you shia, sunna, tijaniya? yes! but we`re Muslims
We were the scribes in Africa yesterday
But what are we today? we can`t say!
To see us united with suawtun wahid is what I pray
IQRA, the quran says, Read !

To the rest of the juveniles that remain
Like we feed our tommy, lets feed our brains
Lets put up our umbrellas before it rains
Many have tried in different ways
But let these rhymes and words bring the change

THIS POEM IS FOR THE ZONGO COMMUNITY, I JUST CAN`T SAY ANYMORE WORDS. PLEASE READ AGAIN !!!

@fahd_mahama

How Far With Me?

I was formally matriculated into Ghana Institute of Journalism (G.I.J) on Friday 18th October, 2013. I have already written two letters to my father; a poem and an article, which I know very well that he cannot read (likewise my mother)… heehaw. My siblings are so busy in and outside Ghana working extra hours to support my education, so they seldom or don’t read my blog.

But I am sure of one group which will - My Friends. So this article is basically for my True friends, Facebook friends and Acquaintances. To let them know how far with my schooling.

We’ve had our Akwaaba Week Celebration, during which we had a cooking competition among halls, Mr. and Miss Akwaaba contest, sports activities, a tour of the Republic of Togo, and an after party at a nightclub, among many other activities. I was more of an observer as any filmmaker would. Fashion dominated the whole ambiance. That week was all about having fun.

You might think of this as absurd but I love being in the library than in class. Because I feel at ease reading language-literature and psychology books, for as long as I want to, than sitting for 2 hours to listen to lectures. For now, I am concentrating on books that will improve my writing skills. So I chose to borrow a writing skills book every two weeks. Even though I have passion for Film-making, I have intentionally ignored books in the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences’ shelve. “I need to be able to write well before I switch on lights and camera” I told myself the first time I saw a book titled studio photography.

I am still in a state of oblivion about what the subsequent weeks, months, semesters and years would be like (academically and socially). I have so far been able to secure few roles with regards to student/club activities. Least of them is the position of Electoral Commissioner for my class.

Fortnight after I started school, I became a reporter for Keteke. It is a news reporting club on campus and I am the first and as at now, the only fresher to become a member of the editorial board. I was introduced to KETEKE by Gabriel Obodai Tobgor Ashong; the GIJ-SRC General Secretary. He and some executives of the club cited my poems and articles that I posted on GIJ-Facebook groups and thought that I could be of use to the club. So they looked for me and gave me an assignment which had encouraging feedbacks so far. He also introduced me to GBCs Curious Mindz.

On Saturday October 20th, around 9am, I was fast asleep resting after reading the previous night. Then a phone call woke me up. “Hello Fahd, I recommended you for media and publicity committee under GUPS……….and so I want to hear from you if you accept the offer.” Fusena Aziz (level 300) the local GUPS Treasurer spoke. You don’t expect me to say “No” do you? I went to AUCC campus in Adabraka later in the day to be sworn in at the General Assembly. I became a member of Media and Publicity committee under the Ghana Union of Professional Students (GUPS). We’ve had our first meeting as a committee and I was commissioned the Assistant Editor of the unions’ tabloid - The Professionals.

I chanced on the position of the General Secretary of Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA)-GIJ. The secretary was a Diploma 2 student who resigned because she was preoccupied with her project work. Some executives and some few members unanimously voted me as the new General Secretary at the mosque where she declared her resignation.

Now, you know what outside the classroom looks like for me. As for the inside- it is hot. But I am sure to come out as safe as a bakeware if I do what I am supposed to - to study.

Maybe not all that I watched in Suncity on GTV was real. Because I am not enjoying a boy’s perceived social life of a university. Partly because of fiscal reasons but it will get better soon. I am working on getting the least necessary equipments needed for me to unleash my Filmmaking talent. Since I cannot afford a DSLR Camera or an Apple Workstation, I am concentrating on my writing skills because, for now, writing is cheap. All I need and pray for is a sound mind, strong body, divine guidance and blessings.

Ladies? The beautiful ones outweigh “the others.” but they all look good in their own way anyway. I sometimes wonder what their perception about university is. “Is it a fashion hub or a knowledge hub?” I ask myself when I see some of them. Sometimes I wonder how long it took them to make-up. I think some spend a whole day thinking about what-to-wear or look-like for the next day. But there are some simple serious ones too.

I do not know of other campuses but in GIJ, There are a lot of clubs to join and a lot to learn and earn. But the most important thing to do is to be associated with a club whose orientation has something to do with what you want to do after school. This way you can be ready for life beyond university.

As a former student stated in his blog post, “everybody knows everybody” because the campus is not as big as Legon. I make new friends (from any level) almost every day and I am especially getting appalled by remembering names and taking phone numbers.

“Education is what you present when you cannot find your certificates.” Zain Quotes said, remember? So I want to improve my creative-writing before I turn 20 next year in April. I have you all (family and friends) at heart. Read my blog; fahdmahama.blogspot.com. And pray for me like I do for you. Because we are all on the same hustle.

@_fahdmahama

Auntie Adiza Tells Her Story

I wrote this while in Senior High School and was published in NEWS-ONE NEWSPAPER and ONLINE at news1ghana.com on the 7th August, 2013 . 

“My Brother, My Friend I love my brother, my brother loves me. My friend, my hero, he always will be. In sundry ways our uniqueness is clear. He likes to go far, but I favor near. He likes to play sports and being outside. I prefer play music and playing inside. Sometimes we fight and scream at each other, but he is my friend for he is my brother.” Michele Cobb quotes  

One day, Auntie Adiza was in her kitchen preparing food for lunch. She was cooking “jollof-rice” with cabbage stew. It was the stew her kids loved the most. The food would be ready in about thirty minutes and all she had to do was to cover it and allow it to warm a little. 

All of a sudden, she heard voices from her sitting room and she quickly came out of the kitchen. 
“What is it?” she asked. 

Ali was holding a television remote at one end while Amina held the other end. They were trying to pull it from one another. 
“Give it to me” Auntie Adiza instructed. Ali pulled it from Amina`s grip and gave it to their mother. 

“It’s okay” Auntie Adiza said while taking a sit on a sofa beside the television. “Sit down my children”, said Auntie Adiza. Ali sat on her right and Amina sat on her left side.

Auntie Adiza was a cheerful plump woman with a round face. She did not take any corporal punishment on her kids to correct them. Despite her giant stature, she only looked at any of them when the person is doing anything wrong and without saying any word you could feel the disapproval. Ali was slim and stood tall. He was two years older than Amina; who was ten years old. Amina stood as tall as Ali but was fatter than him. They both attended the same school and always quarreled with each other.

“My children” Auntie Adiza said. 

“In every relationship, there are ups and downs. When there`s a fight it helps both parties to know the likes and dislikes of one another. This would make your relationship stronger".

"When I was in Secondary School; which is now Senior High School, I had a friend called Rukayatu. She was called “Ruky” for short. We both lived in Nima. I always went to her house to go to school together. When it was time for lunch at school, we eat together. We also did homework together and explained things to one another; things we did not understand".

"day it was time to go home and I was finishing my class work at the same time. Ruky asked me to leave it for the next day else we will miss the “trotro’’. I was so engrossed and I did not give her attention". I was solving mathematics and it was my best subject’’. 

“Which school did you attend?” Amina Interrupted. 
“Presbyterian Secondary School-LA” Auntie Adiza answered and continued. 

“It was a very nice school and I loved everything, the atmosphere, teachers, students, and 'Sir Sammy' the gate man. The Headmistress was very inspirational. Her name was 'Shine Ofori'. Miss Shine brought a lot of development to the school, the three storey building in front of the computer lab, renovation of Science Laboratory and brought good teachers to the school”. 

“Please mum, continue the story” Ali intruded. 
“Oh where was I?” Adiza ask.  
“You were doing your class work and…” Ali replied. 

“Yes! Mathematics! I loved mathematics and I was engrossed in the work so much that I did not pay attention to Ruky. She got angry and left. Before I finished my exercise, she was already on the bus which take-off as I was getting close to it. I had to walk home which took me about an hour. I felt guilty and worried".

"The next day I went to her house and I was told she had already left for school. At school she did not talk to me. I tried to talk to her and let her know how sorry I was but, she did not mind me. I could not eat at lunch and it was guilt all over my face. Later in the day she approached me and told me to let go everything and that she overreacted. I told her I was the one to be blamed".

There was a smell from the kitchen and it meant that food was burning. 
“Let me go and check on the dish I will continue later. Wait for me at the dining table” Aunti Adiza said
Ali and Amina got up excitedly and running to the table on the other side of the room. They seemed as if nothing had happened. When their mother came out of the kitchen holding their favorite meal, it was as if they were injected with joy. Ali was hitting the table with a spoon and Amina singing some weird song. Auntie Adiza placed the food and started to serve them. She lamented “I don’t want to see you quarrelling anymore ok” 
“We won’t mum” they both replied. 
“Mother, continue the story” Ali reminded. Auntie Adiza smiled and said 
“Well, we forgot the past and became friends once more”. 

Fahd Mahama

@fahd_mahama