Ghana: Trigmatic joins National Folklore Board governing body

The artist’s new role was revealed in a letter dated 3 February and signed by chief of staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare.

Established under Section 76 of Ghana’s Copyright Act of 2005, the National Folklore Board is mandated with administering, registering, promoting and protecting Ghanaian expressions of folklore. Chaired by Prof Abdulai Salifu Asuro, the governing body will facilitate the activities of the board.

In his new role, Trigmatic is expected to bring more than a decade of experience in Ghana’s cultural and creative space as a veteran Afropop and hip hop artist as well as a media professional. He joins National Folklore Board executive director Bernice Ann Deh-Kumah, copyright administrator Yaa Attafua and cultural experts Philip Boakye Dua Oyinka, Amy Frimpong, Joseph Ohene-Osei and Sarah Norkor Anku.

Speaking to Music In Africa, Trigmatic, whose real name is Enoch Yaw Oduro-Agyei, said he was excited and honoured to be appointed to the board’s governing body.

“I’ve been working with the National Folklore Board for a while, starting off as a volunteer. I’m passionate about our folklore and have actively been an ambassador of folklore for a while, so being on the board is by merit. Having worked for the board for a while now, I’m going to bring my expertise in advancing the agenda of the board, which has been to protect and promote our folklore,” he said.

During the inauguration of the new board earlier this week, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Mark Okraku-Mantey underscored the need for the protection of folklore in order to drive tourism and the creative arts industry, failure of which would negatively affect the country’s arts and culture space.