Papers by Nyamawero Navei
Humanities and Language International Journal of Linguistics, Humanities, and Education, 2024
In Africa, the production of ceramic sculpture receptacles is a common artistic practice. This ar... more In Africa, the production of ceramic sculpture receptacles is a common artistic practice. This artistry has attracted a plethora of historical, cultural, archaeological, and ethnographic studies. Such studies have revealed some of these African ceramic sculpture receptacles' metaphorical, philosophical, social, and cultural contexts. However, the paucity of literature on the symbols and metaphors of the ceramic sculpture receptacles produced at Takoradi Technical University (TTU) in Ghana provides a research gap. The current study, therefore, sought to examine selected ceramic sculpture receptacles from the Ceramic Design Technology Department of TTU to reveal their symbolic and metaphorical connotations from the indigenous Ghanaian cultural context. The study utilised a qualitative research approach and a descriptive research design. Twelve (12) ceramic sculpture receptacles were purposively sampled, and triangulation of instruments, including non-participant observation, personal interviews, and document reviews, were used to elicit interpretative data from thirteen experts (lecturers & students of TTU), who were all practicing artists. The findings reveal that the twelve ceramic sculpture receptacles incorporate culturally revered animals (birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals) as decorative symbols. These animal-related metaphors are strongly tied to traditional Ghanaian society's sociocultural, religious, and political dimensions. These symbols reflect rich cultural values and philosophies, making the artefacts vital for preserving and promoting Ghanaian cultural heritage. The study recommends further research on other institutional artefacts to decode their embedded sociocultural repositories. This tends to promote and preserve Ghanaian cultural and artistic heritage, which serves as an educational tool for current and future generations.In Africa, the production of ceramic sculpture receptacles is a common artistic practice. This artistry has attracted a plethora of historical, cultural, archaeological, and ethnographic studies. Such studies have revealed some of these African ceramic sculpture receptacles' metaphorical, philosophical, social, and cultural contexts. However, the paucity of literature on the symbols and metaphors of the ceramic sculpture receptacles produced at Takoradi Technical University (TTU) in Ghana provides a research gap. The current study, therefore, sought to examine selected ceramic sculpture receptacles from the Ceramic Design Technology Department of TTU to reveal their symbolic and metaphorical connotations from the indigenous Ghanaian cultural context. The study utilised a qualitative research approach and a descriptive research design. Twelve (12) ceramic sculpture receptacles were purposively sampled, and triangulation of instruments, including non-participant observation, personal interviews, and document reviews, were used to elicit interpretative data from thirteen experts (lecturers & students of TTU), who were all practicing artists. The findings reveal that the twelve ceramic sculpture receptacles incorporate culturally revered animals (birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals) as decorative symbols. These animal-related metaphors are strongly tied to traditional Ghanaian society's sociocultural, religious, and political dimensions. These symbols reflect rich cultural values and philosophies, making the artefacts vital for preserving and promoting Ghanaian cultural heritage. The study recommends further research on other institutional artefacts to decode their embedded sociocultural repositories. This tends to promote and preserve Ghanaian cultural and artistic heritage, which serves as an educational tool for current and future generations.
History is an invaluable reflective resource for progressive national development. In Africa, var... more History is an invaluable reflective resource for progressive national development. In Africa, various studies have delved into the memory lane to identify and commemorate past heroic or iconic figures for their diverse contributions to shaping the destinies of societies and nations. However, such commemorative studies are inexhaustive, as many unsung heroic or iconic figures still abound. One such unsung heroic figure is Princess Yennenga. The current study sets out to sartorially commemorate Princess Yennenga's iconography by delving into Wiyaala mimicry of Princess Yennenga's war costume regalia for a teaser movie shot by Mothertongue in Ghana. It adopted the methodological blueprint of qualitative historical design, with Wiyaala as the principal and homogeneous respondent purposively sampled and interviewed. An in-depth historical and thematic analysis of primary and secondary data found Princess Yennenga to be a warrioress of northern Ghanaian origin and the emblematic founding mother of the Mossi Kingdom in Burkina Faso. It was also established that the materiality, accessories, and props that constituted Wiyaala's dramatic mimicry of Yennenga's war costume were locally self-constructed. The study concludes that the wild, dramatic character projected by Wiyaala through her self-constructed war costume symbolically reimaged Princess Yennenga's warrioress identity and thereby contributes to commemorating Yennenga's heroic legacies in the historical development of the Dagomba and Mossi Kingdoms of Ghana and Burkina Faso, respectively. It will, therefore, be plausible if similar sartorial commemorative studies are conducted on other unsung heroic/iconic figures to highlight the instrumentality of costume art in heroic and iconic identity construction.
Cultural festivals continue to receive diverse scholarly documentation in Ghana. Many of such stu... more Cultural festivals continue to receive diverse scholarly documentation in Ghana. Many of such studies tend to concentrate on the historical, social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic, tourism, educational, and political aspects of Ghanaian festivals with little attention paid to their environmental sustainability dimension. Situated within qualitative ethnographic design, the current study examined the Kʋkɔrɔ festival of Nimoro Division in the Buwa Kingdom of the Upper West Region of Ghana to reveal its environmental and cultural sustainability dimensions. Thematic analysis of interview and field photographic data elicited from twenty (20) participants showed that the revival of the Kʋkɔrɔ (forest) festival on May 18, 2024, rejuvenated the environmental sustainability consciousness of the people of Nimoro Division. Additionally, the festival provided an opportunity for social cohesion, and exhibition of diverse indigenous Sisaala cultural heritage of Nimoro Division, thereby promoting cultural education and preservation. Since the festival has a bifocal significance of rejuvenating the environmental sustainability consciousness of the Nimoro Division and preserving their cultural heritage, the study concludes that its revival in this predatory era of globalisation is a step in the right direction. To further enhance environmental sustainability and cultural preservation in Nimoro Division, it is recommended that the Kʋkɔrɔ festival be held annually. This will continue to raise ecological awareness and sustain the rich Sisaala cultural heritage of the Nimoro Division, ensuring both are maintained and strengthened in the face of globalisation.
Cultural festivals continue to receive diverse scholarly documentation in Ghana. Many of such stu... more Cultural festivals continue to receive diverse scholarly documentation in Ghana. Many of such studies tend to concentrate on the historical, social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic, tourism, educational, and political aspects of Ghanaian festivals with little attention paid to their environmental sustainability dimension. Situated within qualitative ethnographic design, the current study examined the Kʋkɔrɔ festival of Nimoro Division in the Buwa Kingdom of the Upper West Region of Ghana to reveal its environmental and cultural sustainability dimensions. Thematic analysis of interview and field photographic data elicited from twenty (20) participants showed that the revival of the Kʋkɔrɔ (forest) festival on May 18, 2024, rejuvenated the environmental sustainability consciousness of the people of Nimoro Division. Additionally, the festival provided an opportunity for social cohesion, and exhibition of diverse indigenous Sisaala cultural heritage of Nimoro Division, thereby promoting cultural education and preservation. Since the festival has a bifocal significance of rejuvenating the environmental sustainability consciousness of the Nimoro Division and preserving their cultural heritage, the study concludes that its revival in this predatory era of globalisation is a step in the right direction. To further enhance environmental sustainability and cultural preservation in Nimoro Division, it is recommended that the Kʋkɔrɔ festival be held annually. This will continue to raise ecological awareness and sustain the rich Sisaala cultural heritage of the Nimoro Division, ensuring both are maintained and strengthened in the face of globalisation.
Journal of African History, Culture and Arts, 2024
History is an invaluable reflective resource for progressive national development. In Africa, var... more History is an invaluable reflective resource for progressive national development. In Africa, various studies have delved into the memory lane to identify and commemorate past heroic or iconic figures for their diverse contributions to shaping the destinies of societies and nations. However, such commemorative studies are inexhaustive, as many unsung heroic or iconic figures still abound. One such unsung heroic figure is Princess Yennenga. The current study sets out to sartorially commemorate Princess Yennenga's iconography by delving into Wiyaala mimicry of Princess Yennenga's war costume regalia for a teaser movie shot by Mothertongue in Ghana. It adopted the methodological blueprint of qualitative historical design, with Wiyaala as the principal and homogeneous respondent purposively sampled and interviewed. An in-depth historical and thematic analysis of primary and secondary data found Princess Yennenga to be a warrioress of northern Ghanaian origin and the emblematic founding mother of the Mossi Kingdom in Burkina Faso. It was also established that the materiality, accessories, and props that constituted Wiyaala's dramatic mimicry of Yennenga's war costume were locally self-constructed. The study concludes that the wild, dramatic character projected by Wiyaala through her self-constructed war costume symbolically reimaged Princess Yennenga's warrioress identity and thereby contributes to commemorating Yennenga's heroic legacies in the historical development of the Dagomba and Mossi Kingdoms of Ghana and Burkina Faso, respectively. It will, therefore, be plausible if similar sartorial commemorative studies are conducted on other unsung heroic/iconic figures to highlight the instrumentality of costume art in heroic and iconic identity construction.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 7, 2023
Environmental art remains one of the suitable advocacy strategies to ensure the preservation and ... more Environmental art remains one of the suitable advocacy strategies to ensure the preservation and conservation of the natural environment for human posterity due to its effective awareness creation. It is against this backdrop that the pioneering contemporary Ghanaian Visual artists and their succeeding generation of artists have produced several Visual artworks for the promotion of environmental conservation in Ghana. However, their efforts have remained largely undocumented and could be misconstrued. This qualitative case study sought to aesthetically reveal the immense contributions of selected paintings of Ablade Glover toward environmental conservation in Ghana. Five paintings of Ablade Glover namely; Accra Floods, Slumscape, Sunrise, Red Forest, and Forest were purposively sampled with data collected through semi-structured interviews and unstructured observation. The study, through visual and descriptive analyses, found that the five aestheticised paintings of Ablade Glover are environmentally related advocacy-artefacts that seek to (re)create the awareness of city dwellers, urban planning authorities, and agencies about: the deadly seasonal disasters (floods) in Ghanaian cities (Accra); the presence of slums and their associated insanitary/ health issues in Ghanaian cities (Accra), and other human unfriendly acts toward the natural environment. While Glover is encouraged to produce more of such environmentally-related paintings, the study recommends further aesthetical studies to be conducted on similar environmentally-related Visual Arts
Journal of Innovations in Art & Culture for Nature Conservation and Environmental Sustainability, 2023
Basketry, as an artistic discourse, is one of the enviable indigenous heritage arts that evolves ... more Basketry, as an artistic discourse, is one of the enviable indigenous heritage arts that evolves with society and is still of great relevance in contemporary African civilisation. Although the primary historical reason for the perpetuation of basketry art in many ancient African societies was largely utilitarian, the scope of basketry has since metamorphosed beyond its functional focus to include aesthetic, economic, and many opportunities that are geared toward meeting the sociocultural and economic needs of African societies. The focus of this qualitative case study was to investigate the opportunities and sustainability of indigenous basketry furniture artistic practices in the geographical context of the Upper West Region of Ghana. Thematic analysis of triangulated data generated from twenty-seven (27) conveniently sampled experts reveals the use of local technology and ingenuity in the indigenous basketry furniture artistic practices in the Sissala West District, Sisaala East and Jirapa Municipalities in the Upper West Region. The study also found that the indigenous basketry furniture products (lounge chairs, beds, dining tables, local market tables among others) meet ready market thereby providing lucrative economic gains to the artisans. The study concludes that the indigenous basketry furniture art in the Sissala West District, Sisaala East and Jirapa Municipalities in the Upper West Region of Ghana is an economically viable vocation that provides decent livelihood to its practitioners. The artisans are, therefore encouraged to seek governmental and non-governmental funding to expand the frontiers of the vocation within global sustainability dictates for massive employment and industrial production.
European Journal of Social Sciences Studies
Dress fashion has sociocultural, economic and political expressions. In the political purview, dr... more Dress fashion has sociocultural, economic and political expressions. In the political purview, dress fashion remains a viable catalyst capable of provoking dialogue for democratic action as people could proclaim their allegiance to a group or country through their dress fashion. In Ghana, there have been several attempts to decolonise the dress fashion culture. This study sought to deepen the advocacy dialogue through analysis of Facebook reactions to Right Honourable Alban Sumana Bagbin’s adornment of indigenous Ghanaian royal dress regalia for parliamentary business and his clarion call on the floor of Ghana’s parliament on January 25, 2022, on the need to decolonise Ghanaian parliamentary dress code. Through the adoption of a mixed approach situated within the convergent parallel research design, censused Facebook reactions of Ghanaians regarding Speaker Bagbin’s clarion call were examined. Sentiment analysis was used as the data analysis tool. The study revealed Ghanaians' o...
International Journal of Cultural and Art Studies
In stage performance, costume art is an essential visual signature device with the veracity to un... more In stage performance, costume art is an essential visual signature device with the veracity to unveil the character and cultural identity of the performer. Stage costume art could also be deployed to respond to pertinent societal issues. In spite of its versatile essentiality in performing arts, there seems to be a dearth of scholarly interpretation of stage costume art of Ghanaian musicians, thereby creating a knowledge gap. This qualitative case study makes a hermeneutical interpretation of eight random-purposively sampled stage costumes of Wiyaala (a Ghanaian female musician) to establish their cultural symbolism. The study found Wiyaala not only an iconic Ghanaian artiste but an internationally recognised musician who toured many countries across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and other continents for musical stage performances. It emerged that Wiyaala’s stage costumes were locally self-constructed, and ably reflected the uniquely versatile indigenous African (Ghanaian) dress cul...
International Journal of Culture and Art Studies, 2023
ABSTRACT:
In stage performance, costume art is an essential visual signature device with the v... more ABSTRACT:
In stage performance, costume art is an essential visual signature device with the veracity to unveil the character and cultural identity of the performer. Stage costume art could also be deployed to respond to pertinent societal issues. In spite of its versatile essentiality in performing arts, there seems to be a dearth of scholarly interpretation of stage costume art of Ghanaian musicians, thereby creating a knowledge gap. This qualitative case study makes a hermeneutical interpretation of eight random-purposively sampled stage costumes of Wiyaala (a Ghanaian female musician) to establish their cultural symbolism. The study found Wiyaala not only an iconic Ghanaian artiste but an internationally recognised musician who toured many countries across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and other continents for musical stage performances. It emerged that Wiyaala’s stage costumes were locally self-constructed, and ably reflected the uniquely versatile indigenous African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity in respect of African (Ghanaian): royal dress fashion, war costumes, initiation costumes, and others. Wiyaala could be said to have prioritised interest in using her locally sourced stage costume art to promote and preserve indigenous African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity. Since Wiyaala is an iconic musician, she is encouraged to continue deploying locally sourced costume art for her stage performances to promote and preserve African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity for posterity. This tends to decolonise the stage costume choice of many Ghanaian musicians with its cascading impact on the Ghanaian textile and fashion industry for economic and job gains.
Journal of African History, Culture and Arts, Jan 18, 2023
Youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Africa (Ghana) has been on ... more Youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Africa (Ghana) has been on the decline due to the alarming rate at which African youth assimilate foreign cultures. Many African (Ghanaian) youth nowadays mock African (Ghanaian) ethnic cultures in favour of Western cultures. However, previous research suggests youth cultural activism in Tumu, Ghana. This positive development has the tendency to preserve and promote the cultural identity of Tumu. This study, therefore, sought to establish the motivation behind youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Tumu with a specific focus on the costume art of Fuowie Nasolo, a youth cultural iconic figure in Tumu. Qualitative descriptive analysis of interview transcripts and photographic data gathered from twenty-five (25) heterogenous-purposively sampled informants reveal that youth cultural activism in contemporary Tumu is engendered by the sustained cultural tutelage provided by the elders of Tumu. Additionally, it was emphasised that youth cultural participation in contemporary Tumu is extrinsically motivated by the admirable cultural activism of Fuowie, the unifying leader of Tumu youth cultural group. A cursory study of the cultural manifestations of Fuowie's ceremonial costume art, reveals the royal, heroic, and wardress culture of the indigenes of Tumu. Since Fuowie's cultural activism significantly complements the effort of Tumu elders in promoting youth cultural participation, the study calls for sustained collaboration between Fuowie and the elders of Tumu to massively promote youth participation in traditional cultural activities for cultural preservation, cultural restoration, and the construction of authentic cultural identity of the people of Tumu for posterity.
Journal of African History, Culture and Arts , 2023
ABSTRACT:
Youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Africa (Ghana) h... more ABSTRACT:
Youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Africa (Ghana) has been on the decline due to the alarming rate at which African youth assimilate foreign cultures. Many African (Ghanaian) youth nowadays mock African (Ghanaian) ethnic cultures in favour of Western cultures. However, previous research suggests youth cultural activism in Tumu, Ghana. This positive development has the tendency to preserve and promote the cultural identity of Tumu. This study, therefore, sought to establish the motivation behind youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Tumu with a specific focus on the costume art of Fuowie Nasolo, a youth cultural iconic figure in Tumu. Qualitative descriptive analysis of interview transcripts and photographic data gathered from twenty-five (25) heterogenous-purposively sampled informants reveal that youth cultural activism in contemporary Tumu is engendered by the sustained cultural tutelage provided by the elders of Tumu. Additionally, it was emphasised that youth cultural participation in contemporary Tumu is extrinsically motivated by the admirable cultural activism of Fuowie, the unifying leader of Tumu youth cultural group. A cursory study of the cultural manifestations of Fuowie's ceremonial costume art, reveals the royal, heroic, and wardress culture of the indigenes of Tumu. Since Fuowie's cultural activism significantly complements the effort of Tumu elders in promoting youth cultural participation, the study calls for sustained collaboration between Fuowie and the elders of Tumu to massively promote youth participation in traditional cultural activities for cultural preservation, cultural restoration, and the construction of authentic cultural identity of the people of Tumu for posterity.
Journal of African Art Education , 2023
ABSTRACT:
Environmental art remains one of the suitable advocacy strategies to ensure the preser... more ABSTRACT:
Environmental art remains one of the suitable advocacy strategies to ensure the preservation and conservation of the natural environment for human posterity due to its effective awareness creation. It is against this backdrop that the pioneering contemporary Ghanaian Visual artists and their succeeding generation of artists have produced several Visual artworks for the promotion of environmental conservation in Ghana. However, their efforts have remained largely undocumented and could be misconstrued. This qualitative case study sought to aesthetically reveal the immense contributions of selected paintings of Ablade Glover toward environmental conservation in Ghana. Five paintings of Ablade Glover namely; Accra Floods, Slumscape, Sunrise, Red Forest, and Forest were purposively sampled with data collected through semi-structured interviews and unstructured observation. The study, through visual and descriptive analyses, found that the five aestheticised paintings of Ablade Glover are environmentally related advocacy-artefacts that seek to (re)create the awareness of city dwellers, urban planning authorities, and agencies about: the deadly seasonal disasters (floods) in Ghanaian cities (Accra); the presence of slums and their associated insanitary/ health issues in Ghanaian cities (Accra), and other human unfriendly acts toward the natural environment. While Glover is encouraged to produce more of such environmentally-related paintings, the study recommends further aesthetical studies to be conducted on similar environmentally-related Visual Arts produced by Ghanaian Visual artists to decode their intended advocacy meanings to city dwellers, urban planning authorities, and the entirety of the Ghanaian populace. This stands to minimise and/or avert the seasonal floods in Ghanaian cities (Accra); deal with slums and their insanitary issues in Ghanaian cities (Accra) and generally protect the natural environment for posterity.
CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Dec 8, 2020
Premised on qualitative case study design, the study investigated the employability of Graphic De... more Premised on qualitative case study design, the study investigated the employability of Graphic Design graduates of University of Education, Winneba (UEW) with reference to graduate expectations and realities in the world of work. Twenty-eight (28) Bachelor of Arts (BA) Graphic Design graduates of the July 2012 year group and one other key participant all of the Department of Graphic Design of UEW were selected through the use of purposive and exponential non-discriminate snowball sampling techniques. Empirical data were collected through opinionnaire and semistructured interview. The study found the rationale of BA Graphic Design programme of UEW to have bi-focal agenda of equipping its graduates with the needed expertise in Graphic Design practice and education as well as guarantee its graduates employability in the industrial or entrepreneurial establishments. It was also established that most of the July 2012 BA Graphic Design graduates of UEW expected to gain immediate employment by the industry only, after graduation. Since the rationale of the programme is bi-focal in nature, the study recommends that the department of Graphic Design, UEW should provide adequate sensitization and orientation to prospective applicants including continuing students on the nature of the programme as well as initiate career orientation programmes for its graduates in order to broaden their knowledge on employability in any of the job prospects of the programme after school.
CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Aug 30, 2020
Journal of African History, Culture and Arts
Although there is no mandatory (legal) dress code for the President of Ghana, it is noteworthy th... more Although there is no mandatory (legal) dress code for the President of Ghana, it is noteworthy that the President’s choice of garment for public engagements, as the first Iconic Figure of the land, is a critical identity construction issue with an additional possibility of promoting the indigenous Ghanaian textile products for massive (inter)national patronage. This remains a pertinent concern to Ghanaian fashion devotees and scholars. This qualitative descriptive study, therefore, examines eight (8) random-purposively sampled authentic Ghanaian print fabrics (garments) adorned by President Akufo-Addo for his COVID-19 addresses to establish their nonverbal correlative communication repositories with the contents of the messages delivered to Ghanaians. The study elicited views through interviews from seasoned Ghanaian fabric manufacturing experts and fabric retailers regarding the symbology of the sampled fabrics. It was found that the Ghanaian authentic print fabrics (garments) ador...
European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, Mar 19, 2022
Formal education becomes most authentic, inclusive, and learner-centred when Art is at its forefr... more Formal education becomes most authentic, inclusive, and learner-centred when Art is at its forefront. The Arts provide learners with authentic learning experiences that engage their minds, hearts, hands, and entire bodies. The general relevance of Art education for learners with special educational needs has been variously and solidly argued by previous studies. However, much is not known about the creative artefacts of learners with special educational needs. The focus of this qualitative case study was to artistically appreciate selected visual artefacts produced by hearing-impaired pupils of Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf located at Adjei-Kojo, a suburb of Accra in Ghana. Adopting triangulation of instruments (semi-structured interviews, field observation & photography), the study gathered in-depth data from sixteen (16) purposively sampled respondents with findings analysed using qualitative descriptive tenets. The study ascertained that the Creative Arts subject is dedicatedly taught in Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf by Art specialist teachers. As a result, the study observed that the hearing-impaired primary pupils of Tetteh Ocloo State School for the Deaf were able to produce intriguing Visual artefacts (ranging from drawings/painting, clay work & papercraft). Aesthetic appreciation of some of the artefacts revealed that the works represent the oral accounts of the pupils' worldview of salient experiences in their immediate social and physical environments. It is recommended that the Art specialist
Emerging political stalwarts of Sisaala land: Biographical narratology of Amidu Isahaku Chinnia's personality dispositions
In the Ghanaian political landscape, Sisaala land is on record to have produced political stalwar... more In the Ghanaian political landscape, Sisaala land is on record to have produced political stalwarts who have occupied high-ranking political portfolios including the presidency of Ghana. Previous research has identified some pioneering Sisaala political stalwarts including; Dr. Hilla Limman, Imoro Egala; and others. Also, prominent political stalwarts such as; Kwame Nkrumah, Kofi Abrefa Busia, Simon Diedong Dombo, Adu Boahen, Jerry John Rawlings, and others have been variously studied by biographers. Motivated by previous biographical studies anchored on the paucity of similar biographies on emerging political stalwarts of Sisaala land, the study utilised qualitative narrative design to chronicle the biography, personality dispositions, and developmental contributions of Amidu Isahaku Chinnia. Empirical data were elicited through semi-structured interviews from twenty-one (21) heterogeneous-purposively sampled respondents. The study found Chinnia to be a growing academic, known staunch member of the New Patriotic Party and a potential political stalwart in Ghana who currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Sissala East Constituency and Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources. With mixed viewpoints ably argued by the research participants, the study further found Chinnia to be a development-oriented personality with dispositions that are in tandem with the five-factor personality model (emotional intelligence, assertiveness, openness, conscientiousness, & loyalty). With his enviable academic pedigree, development-mindedness, political activism and unwavering personality dispositions, Chinnia appears to have a brighter political future. For Chinnia to consolidate his political growth, and fortunes, he should promote his positive personality dispositions while working on his weaknesses; unite the rank and file of his party in the Sissala East Constituency, address the major developmental needs of his constituents, and loyally support his party-led government to deliver its mandate to Ghanaians as promised.
Journal of African History, Culture and Arts, 2022
Although there is no mandatory (legal) dress code for the President of Ghana, it is noteworthy th... more Although there is no mandatory (legal) dress code for the President of Ghana, it is noteworthy that the President's choice of garment for public engagements, as the first Iconic Figure of the land, is a critical identity construction issue with an additional possibility of promoting the indigenous Ghanaian textile products for massive (inter)national patronage. This remains a pertinent concern to Ghanaian fashion devotees and scholars. This qualitative descriptive study, therefore, examines eight (8) random-purposively sampled authentic Ghanaian print fabrics (garments) adorned by President Akufo-Addo for his COVID-19 addresses to establish their nonverbal correlative communication repositories with the contents of the messages delivered to Ghanaians. The study elicited views through interviews from seasoned Ghanaian fabric manufacturing experts and fabric retailers regarding the symbology of the sampled fabrics. It was found that the Ghanaian authentic print fabrics (garments) adorned by President Akufo-Addo for his COVID-19 updates symbolically correlated with the contents of the addresses delivered to Ghanaians. Therefore, the President's continuous use of Ghanaian authentic print fabrics for his COVID-19 addresses communicates his Ghanaian nationalistic identity; promotes the beautiful and symbolically rich Ghanaian fabrics for the patronage of a larger (inter)national market. This stands to attract massive market for Ghanaian print fabrics thereby positively impacting the economic gains of the ailing Ghanaian textile industry. It would therefore be novel if further investigation is conducted on the possible economic impact of the President's adornment of authentic Ghanaian print fabrics (garments) for public occasions on the Ghanaian textile industry.
In the Ghanaian political landscape, Sisaala land is on record to have produced political stalwar... more In the Ghanaian political landscape, Sisaala land is on record to have produced political stalwarts who have occupied high-ranking political portfolios including the presidency of Ghana. Previous research has identified some pioneering Sisaala political stalwarts including; Dr. Hilla Limman, Imoro Egala; and others. Also, prominent political stalwarts such as; Kwame Nkrumah, Kofi Abrefa Busia, Simon Diedong Dombo, Adu Boahen, Jerry John Rawlings, and others have been variously studied by biographers. Motivated by previous biographical studies anchored on the paucity of similar biographies on emerging political stalwarts of Sisaala land, the study utilised qualitative narrative design to chronicle the biography, personality dispositions, and developmental contributions of Amidu Isahaku Chinnia. Empirical data were elicited through semistructured interviews from twenty-one (21) heterogeneous-purposively sampled respondents. The study found Chinnia to be a growing academic, known staunch member of the New Patriotic Party and a potential political stalwart in Ghana who currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Sissala East Constituency and Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources. With mixed viewpoints ably argued by the research participants, the study further found Chinnia to be a development-oriented personality with dispositions that are in tandem with the five-factor personality model (emotional intelligence, assertiveness, openness, conscientiousness, & loyalty). With his enviable academic pedigree, development-mindedness, political activism and unwavering personality dispositions, Chinnia appears to have a brighter political future. For Chinnia to consolidate his political growth, and fortunes, he should promote his positive personality dispositions while working on his weaknesses; unite the rank and file of his party in the Sissala East Constituency, address the major developmental needs of his constituents, and loyally support his party-led government to deliver its mandate to Ghanaians as promised.
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Papers by Nyamawero Navei
In stage performance, costume art is an essential visual signature device with the veracity to unveil the character and cultural identity of the performer. Stage costume art could also be deployed to respond to pertinent societal issues. In spite of its versatile essentiality in performing arts, there seems to be a dearth of scholarly interpretation of stage costume art of Ghanaian musicians, thereby creating a knowledge gap. This qualitative case study makes a hermeneutical interpretation of eight random-purposively sampled stage costumes of Wiyaala (a Ghanaian female musician) to establish their cultural symbolism. The study found Wiyaala not only an iconic Ghanaian artiste but an internationally recognised musician who toured many countries across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and other continents for musical stage performances. It emerged that Wiyaala’s stage costumes were locally self-constructed, and ably reflected the uniquely versatile indigenous African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity in respect of African (Ghanaian): royal dress fashion, war costumes, initiation costumes, and others. Wiyaala could be said to have prioritised interest in using her locally sourced stage costume art to promote and preserve indigenous African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity. Since Wiyaala is an iconic musician, she is encouraged to continue deploying locally sourced costume art for her stage performances to promote and preserve African (Ghanaian) dress cultural identity for posterity. This tends to decolonise the stage costume choice of many Ghanaian musicians with its cascading impact on the Ghanaian textile and fashion industry for economic and job gains.
Youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Africa (Ghana) has been on the decline due to the alarming rate at which African youth assimilate foreign cultures. Many African (Ghanaian) youth nowadays mock African (Ghanaian) ethnic cultures in favour of Western cultures. However, previous research suggests youth cultural activism in Tumu, Ghana. This positive development has the tendency to preserve and promote the cultural identity of Tumu. This study, therefore, sought to establish the motivation behind youth participation in traditional cultural practices in contemporary Tumu with a specific focus on the costume art of Fuowie Nasolo, a youth cultural iconic figure in Tumu. Qualitative descriptive analysis of interview transcripts and photographic data gathered from twenty-five (25) heterogenous-purposively sampled informants reveal that youth cultural activism in contemporary Tumu is engendered by the sustained cultural tutelage provided by the elders of Tumu. Additionally, it was emphasised that youth cultural participation in contemporary Tumu is extrinsically motivated by the admirable cultural activism of Fuowie, the unifying leader of Tumu youth cultural group. A cursory study of the cultural manifestations of Fuowie's ceremonial costume art, reveals the royal, heroic, and wardress culture of the indigenes of Tumu. Since Fuowie's cultural activism significantly complements the effort of Tumu elders in promoting youth cultural participation, the study calls for sustained collaboration between Fuowie and the elders of Tumu to massively promote youth participation in traditional cultural activities for cultural preservation, cultural restoration, and the construction of authentic cultural identity of the people of Tumu for posterity.
Environmental art remains one of the suitable advocacy strategies to ensure the preservation and conservation of the natural environment for human posterity due to its effective awareness creation. It is against this backdrop that the pioneering contemporary Ghanaian Visual artists and their succeeding generation of artists have produced several Visual artworks for the promotion of environmental conservation in Ghana. However, their efforts have remained largely undocumented and could be misconstrued. This qualitative case study sought to aesthetically reveal the immense contributions of selected paintings of Ablade Glover toward environmental conservation in Ghana. Five paintings of Ablade Glover namely; Accra Floods, Slumscape, Sunrise, Red Forest, and Forest were purposively sampled with data collected through semi-structured interviews and unstructured observation. The study, through visual and descriptive analyses, found that the five aestheticised paintings of Ablade Glover are environmentally related advocacy-artefacts that seek to (re)create the awareness of city dwellers, urban planning authorities, and agencies about: the deadly seasonal disasters (floods) in Ghanaian cities (Accra); the presence of slums and their associated insanitary/ health issues in Ghanaian cities (Accra), and other human unfriendly acts toward the natural environment. While Glover is encouraged to produce more of such environmentally-related paintings, the study recommends further aesthetical studies to be conducted on similar environmentally-related Visual Arts produced by Ghanaian Visual artists to decode their intended advocacy meanings to city dwellers, urban planning authorities, and the entirety of the Ghanaian populace. This stands to minimise and/or avert the seasonal floods in Ghanaian cities (Accra); deal with slums and their insanitary issues in Ghanaian cities (Accra) and generally protect the natural environment for posterity.