Ephraim Amu: Nationalist, Poet and Theologian (Review)

Title: Ephraim Amu Nationalist, Poet and Theologian (1899-1995)
Author: Philip Laryea
Publishers: Regnum Africa Publications
Pages: 425
Reviewer: Darah Dsane (Ph.D), Lecturer, NAFTI

Philip Laryea’s book on Ephraim Amu as a nationalist, poet and theologian has indeed added knowledge to what we already knew about the late Ephraim Amu as an ethnomusicologist.

What is peculiar about Philip Laryea’s book is the use of several journal information that Ephraim Amu himself kept.

From privately kept diaries of which some of the notes were written in his Ewe language, sermons, letters, lectures delivered on different occasions and at various places, these were used as vignettes and there is a display of them in the appendix.

Philip Laryea has shown in reality that the late Ephraim Amu’s journal and personal archive extended beyond his classroom work as a teacher, and impacted his Christian beliefs and practices, his poetry as well as his ideology as a nationalist.

A lasting graphic representative legacy as this could be to his memory, Philip Laryea, the author, has skillfully used the information in the journal and the personal archive to unearth more knowledge about Amu.

This book, will be useful for general reading and will go a long way to become an example for up and coming politicians, pastors, journalists, historians, cinematographers and social commentators as well as individuals to emulate the importance of keeping journals even within an information-technology driven environment.

Daily Graphic/graphic.com.gh/Ghana