Nketia, J(oseph) H(ansen) Kwabena

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Nketia, J(oseph) H(ansen) Kwabena

Nketia, J(oseph) H(ansen) Kwabena, Ghanaian ethnomusicologist; b. Mampong Ashanti, near Kumasi, June 22, 1921. He attended the Teacher Training Coll. in Akropong-Akwapim (1937–40); then taught music and languages at Presbyterian Training Coll. there (1942–44; 1949–52), where he made his first collection of Akan songs (publ. 1949), and composed original works and arrangements of Ghanaian music. He also studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies, Univ. of London (1944–46; B.A., 1949), where he developed an interdisciplinary approach to ethnomusicology. He taught at the Univ. of Ghana (1951–81) and at the Univ. of Calif, at Los Angeles (1969–83); became Andrew Mellon Prof, of Music at the Univ. of Pittsburgh in 1983; also was director of the Inst. of African Studies at the Univ. of Ghana (1965–80). His numerous publications include collections and studies of African music and performance (publ. in Ghana), as well as the important Music of Africa (N.Y., 1974; won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire