Kras Arthur

Posted by

Arthur, Kras Kofi (1957–)

Kras Arthur (born on 19 July 1957) is a Ghanaian composer, musician, teacher and educationist who may be largely considered as a major pioneer in 'highlife' music compositions for the Ghanaian church setting. Kras' most famous songs include Awurade, W'ahennie Yi So and Nyame Yɛ Ɔsahen which are very popular for church worship and adoration sessions in Ghana.

Background

Kras was born at Tarkwa, a town in the Western Region of Ghana. He is the first child and son among the four sons and three daughters of Charles Wellington Arthur Jr., a social welfare officer and education officer, and Comfort Ndzebah, a trader, who hail from Apam, Central Region. Due to to his father's profession, the family had to move from Tarkwa to Axim, then to Bibiani and to Kojokrom, all in the Western Region, and this resulted in Kras having his primary education in the Axim and Bibiani primary schools and Nana Katabra Memorial Middle 'B' School in Kojokrom.

Kras' secondary education was at Foso School of Business. Between this period and his enrolling at the National Academy of Music (now metamorphosed into the University of Education, Winneba), his father had decided to go on retirement to do his own revenue generating business. Hence in 1980, when his father was 55, he began to trade in Piccadilly Biscuits with the sum of his pension benefits, but just the year after, during the takeover of the country on 31 December 1981 by Jerry John Rawlings as the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council, the family was hit by a huge blow. Most of his money from the sales of the biscuits were in 50 cedi notes which the military government recalled, or rather seized, all over the country. This launched the Arthur family into a grave situation of financial crises. Young Kras resorted to selling past exam question sheets to earn some money to support their finances. His father was compelled to seek for greener pastures in Nigeria where he would die and never return home. While his father was away in Nigeria, Kras also did some teaching at a local primary school, then proceeded to do a four year Diploma course in Music at the Academy of Music from 1981–1985. During his first year of entering the Academy, his father, the main sponsor of his education passed on resulting in his near drop out of school but for the intervention of a neighbour. The Foso Wesley Methodist Church took up the sponsorship of his education eventually.

Before his National Service (1986–87), he did some teaching at Foso College of Education. Until 2007, he did most of his professional teaching at the Wesley College of Education – Kumasi, Ashanti Region. During this period, he upgraded himself by gaining a master's degree in Education Management, then an Master in Philosophy (MPhil) in Music all at the University of Cape Coast.

Music and Church

Kras' music life began when he was 15 years old. His passion for music developed as a result of family influence. Charles Wellington Arthur Sr. was his grandfather who was very good in the playing of the harmonium. This instrument was passed on to him through his older cousin, Willis K. M. Ampiaw, who had then graduated into playing the piano. Kras had taught himself music with the tonic sol-fa edition of the Methodist Hymn Book until he met E. B. Ellison, a music teacher, choirmaster and organist in Assin Foso, Central Region. The Smallwood's Pianoforte Tutor book was very instrumental here. When Ellison left on transfer to work at Agona Nsaba Senior Secondary School, Kras became the organist of the Wesley Methodist Church in Foso. Kras also learnt a great deal from Dr. Samuel Kow Arthur and Ralph Ebow Taylor who were members of the Association of Methodist Church Choirs in Ghana (GHAMECC). He also claims to have his musicianship influenced by some great musician like E. C. Bilson, Hebert Sam, K. O. Badu-Addo, A. E. Amankwa, as well as his contemporaries– Harvey Essilfie, George Mensah Essilfie, Rev. Newlove Annan, Sam Asare Bediako, Prof. Yaw Sekyi-Baidoo, Tsemafo Arthur, Willis Ampiaw (his cousin), Dr. Joshua Amuah etc.

Kras' keen involvement in the local church choir activities, as well as his church organist role, translated into his success in GHAMECC. His mentor, Samuel Kow Arthur, had invited him to the Conference of GHAMECC in 1981 for the first time. His interest was fuelled by this first experience. He would later in 1986 lead the Cape Coast Diocesan (District) Choir to represent at the National Competition of GHAMECC in Takoradi, Western Region. Here could probably be the first time his song, Nyame Yɛ Ɔsahen, was heard at such a large gathering, bringing him into the spotlight. He later rose from the Deputy National Director of Music position to National Director of Music between 1994 and 2000.

Kras has been a choirmaster, organist and director of music  at various level in the Methodist Church. He has led church choirs like The Ebenezer Methodist Cathedral, Winneba (1983–85), Wesley Methodist Cathedral, Cape Coast (1986–87), Wesley Methodist Cathedral, Adum–Kumasi (1987–1999) Ebenezer Methodist Church, Bantama–Kumasi (1999–2007) and currently the Mt. Olivet Methodist Church, Dansoman–Accra, and helped in the grooming of other choirs at Briwa, Abandze, Komenda, Kissi and Komenda Dominase.

Composer

Kras tells of his songs, especially Nyame Yɛ Ɔsahen, drawing some persons unto repentance and close to God, which songs were composed at a time he had no personal relationship with God. He attributes his pre-formal skill in music composition largely to Ralph Ebow Taylor who held lessons for him in the art of music composition long before he enrolled at the Academy of Music.

Sample list of compositions

Anthems:
  1. See the Lamb of God.
  2. Save we Pray you for Palm Sunday
  3. Holy is the Lord God Almighty Who was, Who is and Who is to come
  4. Aseda Kεseε I & II
Highlife:
  1. Nyame yε Ɔsahen
  2. Awurade W’ahennie yi so
  3. Yesu Nkoaa
  4. Me wɔ nkwa
  5. Yesu yε m’adamfo pa
  6. Ewuradze Kasa
  7. Agyedifoɔ
Slow Rock:
  1. Akyεdze yi so
  2. Hom mma yεn som No
  3. M’enyi da No do
  4. M’aseda nyina yε wo dea
  5. Obiara nte sε Wo
Ebibindwom Re-arrangements:
  1. Ɔhen papa Christ etu N’ahenkyεw N’ato hɔ
  2. Egya fakyε hεn
  3. Yε aboa ano
  4. Midzi nyim daa
  5. Emmanuel 
Wikipedia.com summarises highlife as "a music genre that originated in Ghana early in the 20th century. It uses the melodic and main rhythmic structures of traditional Akan music, but is played with Western instruments." This genre originated from the secular space, with early art music composers such as J. H. Kwabena Nketia employing the style in some of their compositions. Kras Arthur may be considered as the major church musicians to introduce the genre into choral music, characterised by syncopated rhythms that give his compositions the authentic feel of highlife. His works, no doubt, has inspired and continues to inspire younger church music composers and congregation alike.

Anniversary Celebrations

On 23 July 2017, VocalEssence Chorale Ghana held a concert at the Mount Olivet Methodist Church–Dansoman, Greater Accra, to mark the 60th Anniversary of Kras Arthur Sr. An album consisting of his signature highlife choral songs was produced and launched for sale by the choir, also to mark the event. Other events were held to mark the celebration as well.


Reference

  1. Arthur, Kras Kofi (2017). "The Profile of Kras Kofi Arthur" (PDF). Thechoralevangelistgh.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  2. VocalEssence Chorale. "Kras Arthur @ 60 Concert & Album Launch". Facebook.com/VocalessenceChorale. Retrieved 2017-08-22.

Other links


Comments

Post a Comment

Please make sure to leave a comment here. Thank you.