/'hose sudden passing was announced as  1996  drew
towards  a  close, was  a  critic and writer  with wide  interests  and  strong opinions  who
shouldered diverse responsibilities. He died at the height of his powers, having just been

given  new  responsibilities  and  'when
looking  forward  to  tackling  new
projects.

Remem-
bering

Agovi's concerns, reflected in the publications that
earned  him  a  professorship,  included  interest  in  major
issues and he made trenchant contributions to  important
debates. Titles of particular significant essays include: 'Is
there  an  African  Vision  of  Tragedy  in  Contemporary

Kofi
Agovi

Hailing  from  Western  Ghana,  with  links
to Half Asini and Tarkwa, Agovi was a student
of  English  at the  University  of  Ghana,  Legon,
towards  the end of the Sixties. Then known as
'Jim'  Agovi,  he  was  a 
resident  of  Mensah
Sarbah  Hall  and  a  member  of  a  talented
undergraduate  year. As a student  in a  Depart-
ment just beginning to rethink the role of literary
studies  in  an  African  university,  he  benefited
from the presence  in the University  of  Kofi Mensah, Ime
Ikkideh  and  Abiola  Irele,  each  of  whom  had  started  to
make an  impact  as a writer  or  critic.

After  graduating  with  a good  degree,  Kofi  Agovi
proceeded to the University of Stirling to undertake further
studies. There, under the  supervision of  Robin
Mayhead, he wrote an MA  thesis on novels of
social change that was subsequently published
in  Ghana.  On  his  return  to  Legon,  Agovi's
interest  shifted  from  fiction  to  drama,  and  in
1 979  he earned his doctorate from the Univer-
sity  of  Ghana  with  a  thesis  submitted  to  the
Institute  of  African  Studies,  entitled  'Kundum:
Festival  Drama  among  the  Ahanta-Nzema  of
South West  Ghana.'

Periods lecturing, mostly in African  Stud-
ies,  Legon,  but  also  elsewhere,  including  the
University  of  Calabar,  were  combined  with
opportunities  to  travel  beyond  the  sub-region
As  can  be  seen  from  his  essay  'Cultural  Presence  in
Japanese  Theatres:  An  African's  Experience  of  Noh,
Kabuki  and  Bunraku'  published  in  1984,  Japan  and
Inpancac  ilieuhical  Traditions  mude u deep  impression
on him. He spent extended periods  in the United States
of America  and continued  to travel whenever  possible.
Shortly  before  his death  he spent time  in  Norway.

GLENDORA •.»-.

African  Quarterly
on the Arts
Vol. 2/No. 1

African Theatre?'; 'The Aesthetics of Creative Communi-
cation  in African  Performance  Studies';  'The  Philosophy
of Communication  in Traditional Ghanaian  Society: The
Literary and Dramatic  Evidence'; 'New  Directions in The
Ghanaian  Theatre  of  the  Eighties'  and  'Towards  an
Authentic  African  Theatre.'

Agovi  was  also concerned  about  the operation  of

the  mass  media  -  of  which  he  had
first-hand experience. A  selection of
his  writings  in  this  field  were  col-
lected  together  in  a  volume  entitled
Ruling a Sovereign  People published
in  1980.

In  the  life  of  Kofi  Agovi  re-
search,  teaching  and  public  affairs
were  combined  with  academic  ad-
ministrative  tasks and  to these were
added  numerous  other  responsibili-
ties.  In  1994  he  proved  himself  as
the organiser of an international con-
ference in Accra and it seemed likely
that  further  opportunities  for  similar
endeavours  would  present  them-
selves.  Shortly  before  his  death,  he
was  confirmed  as  Director  of  the
Institute  of  African  Studies,  Legon,

Kofi  Agovi

and  many  looked  forward  to  the
day  when  he  might  become  the
Vice-Chancellor  of  the  University
of  Ghana.

At the beginning of  1 996, in
his capacity  as Acting  Director  of
the Institute of African  Studies, he
wrote  a  moving  tribute  for  Mrs
Efua Sutherland. No one can have
anticipated  that at  the  end  of  the
year, the much younger Kofi Agovi
would  also  'dance  and  join  the
ancestors.'  His  passing 
leaves
many hopes unfulfilled, and a dis-
traught  family  to  whom  he  was
devoted.  It also  leaves those who
knew him with vivid memories of a
strong personality and great abili-
ties. These will  not fade.  GR

UZO EGONU - An African Artist in the  West

By Olu Oguibe

Available at all
GLENDORA
BOOK  SHOP

outlets

This insightful  study  is the most  sophisti-
cated and intensive full-length  analysis  of
a modern African  visual  artist.

- Simon Ottenberg,
University of Washington, Seattle, USA.

This monograph  is a timely  intervention  in
the prevailing  debates  on the role,  position
and aesthetic  concerns  of the African  artist
in the contemporary  world...

-  THIRD TEXT (Autumn, 1996)

African  Quarterly
on  the  Arts
Vol.  Z/No.  1 GLENDORA.