I have many memories of Komla’s visits to South Africa ; he was an amazing musician himself, an excellent teacher and such a humble human being.
He broadened the horizons of all the participants in his workshops – of the whites who had little knowledge of indigenous African music, he showed them how to incorporate it into their teaching to enhance education and nation building in our country; and of the black delegates to show them the value and significance of their own music to the country and the cause of nation building.
The following story which my husband remembers illustrates this point graphically:
The most delightful story I heard about Komla on his first trip here was when Geoff Smith, Inspector of Music Education in PE, ordered all the “music” teachers in Mthatha to attend a workshop for teachers run by Komla. They were all Xhosa women who had been taught how to play the piano and were teaching children how to play the piano. That was “music”.
Komla began by asking the teachers to sing him some little song they had learnt on their mother’s knee! Dead silence, if not horror! But Komla insisted explaining that he did not know any Xhosa tunes. Eventually one nervous, giggling younger teacher sang a little ditty. Komla was delighted. Did they all know that tune? Yes they did, still highly suspicious if not embarrassed. Komla said, “Well, lets workshop that tune and see what we can get out of it.” He organised them: some singing, some dancing, some clapping, some body percussion, others playing whatever instruments they could lay their hands on. One humble little ditty went on for about four minutes with everybody working hard! What a change. Laughter, smiling faces, happy and excited people.
When Komla asked if there were any other tunes learnt on Mother’s knee there was no holding back. They just poured them out. Then they got to work. They workshopped them into a performance of about 20 minutes or more. Of course they went over time, but participants had lost all sense of ‘home time’! Those who came to fetch them did not mind waiting, they made up an amazed and enthusiastic audience.
When it was all over, one teacher said to Komla, “I never realised that our (Xhosa) music is REAL music.” Joyous but also sad – sad in that minds had been constricted if not closed for so long.
Dear Komla, the LIBERATOR of people’s minds through music, all kinds of music, leading to personal happiness, joy and LIFE.
We value his contribution to our transformation to a much more understanding society which is learning to appreciate all the cultures in our country and pass as much as we can on to the next generations.
May he rest in peace
Clive and Penny Whitford (retired to Grahamstown)