Lord Kitchener, “Birth of Ghana,” 1957

On March 6, 1957, the Gold Coast Colony declared its independence from Britain and became Ghana, the first West African nation to break from European colonial rule. The calypso musician Lord Kitchener (birth name Aldwyn Roberts) recorded his song titled “Birth of Ghana” to celebrate independence. “Kitch,” as he was fondly known, was from the British West Indian colony of Trinidad, but had been living and working in London since 1948. His song quickly became immensely popular in Ghana and throughout West Africa, where calypso music enjoyed a robust market. In formal independence ceremonies and informal street parties across Ghana’s capital city of Accra, people danced and sang to Kitch’s catchy tune praising Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The lyrics contained a nod to the transnational and Pan-Africanist importance of Nkrumah and Ghana’s independence: Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, was similarly revered as a symbol of African resistance to European colonialism. “Birth of Ghana” became synonymous with the moment of independence and records of it are still prized as souvenirs in Ghana today.

You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-imEGXqHis

This source is part of the teaching module on music and decolonization in the Black Atlantic.