A project to digitize, archive and safeguard the Gramophone and Tape Libraries of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has been launched in Accra. The project which is a joint effort by GBC and the Centre for World Music at the University of Hildesheim is funded by the German Foreign Office under its cultural preservation programme. The German Foreign Office is providing a 100,000 euro grant to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to preserve the gramophone and tapes libraries and the archival music works respectively.
The GBC Gramophone Library had not been functioning for more than two decades due to the technology switch from analogue to digital media. The German Ambassador, Dr Marius Haas, said the project was in line with his country’s effort to safeguard Ghanaian cultural and musical heritage. He indicated that, GBC’s gramophone library was one of the largest in Africa containing large collections of recorded music in Africa and served as an encyclopaedia of Ghanaian cultural creativity. He said Germany’s interest in preserving Ghana’s musical works emanated from her commitment to preserve, maintain and safeguard the world cultural heritage.
The Ambassador thanked GBC for its spirit of cooperation and expressed the hope that it would remain committed to make the project a success.
Mr Atsu Atsiatorme, Assistant Director of Radio, GBC, expressed gratitude to the Germans for the support and said the project would provide a unique medium to serve as a reference point for academic and other general purposes.
Dr. Markus Coester, Coordinator for the Project, said the project which would be undertaken by German Centre for World Music at the University of Hildesheim, would be completed by April, 2010.
