Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: CELEBRATING JOHN COLLINS

i feel history come alive with cornelius's remembering and bring out a time when the word "ancestors" of african literature had a meaning. a time when diaspora meant going out but then always returning home, when it wasn't a question of achebe or soyinka staying in london or wherever.

the listing of names makes sense for those who can resonate to the jewish bible's listings of names, only now they are remembered, which means, alive in the fullest sense of the third stage of existing.

to exist in that stage they have to be remembered, spoken of, recalled, which is what cornelius does best. calling them back by name; saying, i was there, with them.

and meriting the celebration.

ken

kenneth harrow

professor emeritus

dept of english

michigan state university

517 803-8839

harrow@msu.edu

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From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Cornelius Hamelberg <corneliushamelberg@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 12:45 PM
To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: CELEBRATING JOHN COLLINS

 

O the good old days ( and the good old nights) ! And as the saying goes, It never rains but it pours

The penultimate good news deserving of MIGHTY CONGRATULATIONS was a letter from John dated 8th November 2020, a letter which read

Dear All,

Earlier  this year I was accepted as a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) that was set up in the 1960s by Kwame Nkrumah and is Ghana's equivalent to the British Royal Society or the American National Academy of Sciences. It consists of around 120 local scientists, artists and intellectuals.  

This is to notify you that the official induction ceremony is taking place at the GAAS headquarters in Accra on the 17th November 2020 at 5 pm. (see attached  flyer) Seven of us Professors are in fact being inducted on the day: and the others are the Appeals Court Judge Dennis Adjei, the Professors of Law, Finance and  Strategy, Kofi Quashigah, Joshua Abor and Kwaku Appiah-Adu, as well  John Gyapong the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences and  D.K. Essumang ,Vice-Chancellor of the Koforidua Technical University

All the best,

 John  Collins, FGA (i.e. Fellow of the Ghana Academy)

And what does that tell you, Watson? This only goes to confirm the Shakespearean affirmation that

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them"

Those lines of mystic prose read by Malvolio do not apply to everyone, especially not to those who seek greatness so desperately, among other means, by copious self-advertisement casting themselves into the desired image of fame. But most often, it's not like that.

"Fortune and fame's such a curious game.

Perfect strangers can call you by name."

What to say, apart from the fact that JOHN COLLINS is a very special friend -

a friendship developed during my and my Better Half's all too short but extraordinarily eventful sojourn at the Chalets, at South Legon ,  University of Ghana. A new, vibrant, throbbing cultural milieu, a kaleidoscope of people and personalities, to name a few, John Collins and family, Kwatei Jones-Quartey, George Crowell, Ann & Terry Smutylo, Thelma & Rudy Silas; Adrienne & Joe Seaward, Jean Love, Cyprian Lamar Rowe, Albert Van Dantzig (also very special), Jeff Holden, Gerald Moore, George Nelson Preston, Abiola Irele, Jawa Apronti, James Ngugi, Prince Charles Karikari, J.C:., Tommy Annan, Victor T. Le Vine, my best friend from China, McQueen ( "Good or bad?") Miss Hereward ( Classics) Eboe Hutchful, Mustapha Tettey Addy, Dollars & Attah, Kwame, Robin Turner, Lacy Spacek, Mary Ellen Shaw, Tony Asrilen, Charles Nicol (Achimota), Dan Strehl, Thomas Cox, Roy Watts, Dr Korsah, of Korle-bu, Desmond Luke ( one unforgettable afternoon at Kotoka Airport – he on his way to take up an appointment as ambassador to Bonn) Major Jumu Sandy, John Chernoff, " Soul to Soul" - Carlos Santana, Sam Oju King (Kumasi), Gandhi Capio, John Kwadjo, a pocketful of long stories, short stories, anecdotes. events, political intrigue, even cloak and dagger skulduggery...

What some people may not understand – especially the outsider type of people, the uninitiated who mostly see others in terms of the colour or couleur of their skins, eyes, hairs, and ritually categorise people as either enemy or friend – as either white or black ( like my ess) as one of "us" - Yoruba or "one of those" ( IPOB, Fulani Herdsmen, lost sheep of the House of Israel, Boko Haram, the un-.anointed ) as either obroni/oyibo - or black – as night. It so happens that John is " white" but in his case he is Ghanaian alright. His dad moved to Ghana in 1953, so you don't have to imagine what it should be like for you growing up in Ghana since Day 1. I myself was shocked out of my skin the first time I met John's family – at home. His dad was the Professor of Philosophy at Legon, so at table, you'd expect some babble about Aristotle but once he took out his old palm-wine guitar and executed some classic amponsah that would have made Koo Nimo marvel, you yourself should be able to only coo like Curtis Mayfield,

"Teach them to be strong, and when they are grown
They can proudly imply that we were an alright guy"

I have written a little about John here

On Monday, 9 August 2021 at 22:02:28 UTC+2 Cornelius Hamelberg wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: AFRICANUS AVEH <obu...@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2021, 12:30 pm
Subject: CELEBRATING JOHN COLLINS
To: AFRICANUS AVEH <obu...@gmail.com>
Cc: <obu...@gmail.com>

INVITATION

A SPECIAL VIRTUAL EVENT

 

CELEBRATING 

LEGENDS OF AFRICAN ARTS

 

JOHN COLLINS

(musician, teacher, scholar)

 

DATE: Wednesday, September 8, 2021

TIME: 1700 GMT (5pm Accra, Gh)

 

Presentations

Performances

Screenings

Tributes

Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84708403643?pwd=aVRpa3MxT3htdStjZEw5cTZndlV2dz09

Meeting ID: 847 0840 3643
Passcode:    973962

 

 

ABOUT THE EVENT

Celebrating Legends of African Arts is a series that started in February 2021. It is conceived to celebrate an accomplished African artist every other month at an event featuring presentations on the creative and scholarly works of the selected celebrant in addition to testimonies and tributes from family and associates. There are also screenings, readings and live performances of the creative works of the celebrant. The Event takes place virtually via Zoom and participation is opened to all. It is brought to you by Obugacy.

 

NB: If you wish to make a short presentation (10min max.) on the works of the celebrant, please contact the host as soon as possible for possible inclusion in the programme line-up. Also if you wish to make a short personal statement (2min max.) or on behalf of an institution, please notify the host as soon as possible.

 

M. AFRICANUS AVEH (Host/Moderator)

University of Ghana, Legon, GHANA.

E-mail: obu...@gmail.com

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