[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E899-E900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 50th 
anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Ghana. On March 6, 
1957, Ghana became the first country in Africa south of the Sahara to 
gain independence from colonial rule. The theme for the anniversary is: 
Championing African Excellence. There are three main objectives for the 
jubilee celebrations, which are: celebrate and commemorate Ghana's 
landmark achievement as the first country in Black Africa to attain 
independence from colonial rule; reflect on the evolution, development, 
achievements and drawbacks of the country over the past 50 years; and 
to look forward to the future vision of excellence in all fields of 
endeavor in the next 50 years towards the centennial anniversary of the 
nation.
  Year-long activities marking the Golden Jubilee have been scheduled, 
beginning in January 2007 and ending in December 2007, with monthly 
themes including: Reflection, African Unity, and Heroes of Ghana. 
April's theme is ``Our Nation, Our People,'' and I would like to enter 
into the Record this article, regarding another ``first'' for Ghana, 
reported by BBC News International on April 24, 2007, entitled ``La 
Scala Brings Beethoven to Ghana.'' It details the recent visit to Ghana 
by Milan's La Scala orchestra and chorus and speaks about the hopes of 
expanding the appreciation of classical music to other countries in 
sub-Saharan Africa.
  The Republic of Ghana continues to experience economic growth and the 
government continues to work on improving the energy generating 
capacity of the country. Recently an Educational Reform Program has 
been implemented, which primary vision is to align education to 
national aspirations to develop disciplined, socially conscious and 
well-rounded Ghanaians who can hold their own as global citizens 
anywhere. All these efforts promise that Ghana will reach its goal of 
excellence in all fields as they look towards the centennial 
anniversary. I urge fellow members to continue to support Ghana's 
independence by working towards victory over poverty, disease, gender 
in equality, and lack of education.

                   La Scala Brings Beethoven to Ghana

                           (By David Willey)

       Italy's famous La Scala orchestra has played in sub-Saharan 
     Africa for the first time.
       The venue: Accra's 1,400 seat ultra-modern National 
     Theatre.
       The occasion: celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of 
     Ghana's independence.
       The cast: Daniel Barenboim and 160 members of the orchestra 
     and chorus of Milan's La Scala.
       The programme: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the Choral, 
     whose Ode to Joy has become the official anthem of the 
     European Union.


                                electric

       The evening began in an unusual way, with the beating of a 
     traditional tribal drum, a traditional Ghanaian welcome.
       It ended with a standing ovation for the prestigious 
     orchestra and their equally famous conductor.

[[Page E900]]

       A member of the Ghanaian organising committee told me he 
     remembered having music appreciation lessons at school 50 
     years ago, when Ghana was still a British colony, but he 
     could not remember any similar event in his lifetime.
       Most of the audience were invited to attend, with the few 
     hundred tickets actually put on sale costing between US $30-
     50, well beyond the reach of the pockets of the average 
     Ghanaian.
       In sub-Saharan Africa, 60 per cent of people live on less 
     than two US dollars per day. So, unsurprisingly, the 
     auditorium was packed with local officials and diplomats.
       A quick trawl around Accra's teeming markets confirmed 
     earlier suspicions--that the Ghanaian capital completely 
     lacks CD shops selling classical music.
       While African faces on the crowded stage were limited to 
     two, one the African-American bass-baritone Kevin Deas, and 
     the other, the soprano Measha Brueggergosman, a Canadian 
     national.
       The impact of the music on those lucky enough to be present 
     was, however, electric.
       Daniel Barenboim, the musicians and the four soloists (who 
     included La Scala newcomer and rising British star, tenor Ian 
     Storey) gave their all. They had time for only a single 
     rehearsal, but their performance was impeccable.
       Barenboim told me during rehearsal: ``The problem is, you 
     cannot articulate the content of music in words. This can 
     only be expressed through sound. This is what I hope we are 
     bringing to them.''
       This extraordinary event was the result of a casual 
     invitation to Daniel Barenboim in New York last December by 
     Ghana's highest-profile international figure, Kofi Annan, 
     former UN Secretary General and a friend of La Scala's new 
     ``maestro'' conductor.
       The president of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, and the Mayor 
     of Milan, Letizia Moratti, also helped to make Kofi Annan's 
     dream come true.


                           spirited rendition

       Annan was beaming afterwards at the Ghanaian President's 
     post-concert party in Accra's State Banqueting Hall.
       ``In international affairs, you have to learn how to create 
     pillars and foundations in order to realise dreams,'' he 
     said.
       At the post-concert party some of La Scala's violin players 
     playfully took over from a local Accra orchestra, giving a 
     spirited rendition of Guantanamara.
       But was it really worth the vast expense ($500,000) to 
     charter an Airbus and fly this huge and talented company 
     6,000 miles across the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara 
     desert to Ghana, and back, for a single Beethoven 
     performance?
       Barenboim says emphatically ``yes''. He would like to 
     return to Africa, either with La Scala or to give a series of 
     solo piano recitals in various African countries.
       The former child prodigy, who has replaced Riccardo Muti as 
     conductor at La Scala, and who built up the now famous West-
     East Divan orchestra of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, 
     believes music may hold the key to bridging the North-South 
     cultural, and even economic, divide.
       ``You have to listen to the other players if you want to 
     play in an orchestra,'' he said.
       But as one of the first violins in the orchestra whispered 
     to me as we were flying back high over the Sahara desert, 
     while she had enjoyed this unique experience, she was not so 
     sure that a charity concert in Milan to raise money for Ghana 
     might not have been preferable.
       The audience shouted for more after the Accra concert, but 
     a performance of this quality of Beethoven's Ninth hardly 
     lends itself to an encore.
       Now we shall have to see whether Daniel Barenboim's 
     ambitious dream of stimulating a demand for classical music 
     in Africa is going to be fulfilled.
       It will require a lot of money, and a lot of politics. The 
     encore is not yet assured.

                          ____________________