Nana Kwesi Odaaku

Nana Kwesi Odaaku was born in the town of Ɔbomen-Abokifi which is located in the Kwahu mountain area of Ghana. He grew up in Ɔkragye where his father was a chief. As a young child Nana always walked with the elders who spoke in proverbs and, as a result, by the age of 5 he was mimicking their wisdom. Between the ages of 10 and 12, he had the opportunity to travel to Kumase and other villages. While in high school he became a transcriber for a UNESCO program for 3 years where his uncle, Kwame Y. Odaaku, was a director of African Studies at Legon. These manuscripts can be found in the B.A.L.M. Library at the University of Ghana at Legon. Between 1973 and 1974, Nana Odaaku was a lead researcher for Peggy Appiah, a well-known author who wrote many books on Ashanti gold weights, folktales, and traditions. This afforded him the opportunity to travel to many towns throughout Ghana. Continuing his desire to educate people about Akan culture, Nana authored a book, Spoken Twi, that teaches Twi an Akan language spoken Ghana. Nana Odaaku eventually moved to the United States and currently lives in the Washington D. C. area. Being a vast well of knowledge on Akan culture and traditions, Nana has given workshops and lectures at Morgan State University, Bowie State University, and Howard University.