Amon Kotey

Tribute to my dear husband, Amon Kotey 6/29/39-12/26/07

Born in Tamale, West Africa. He was the third of ten children. At age 15 years he wanted to go to a higher school that his parents felt was necessary. Although his parents did not approve, he left home in 1954 to join the Ghana Police Band. Inspector Arye, a Brit, the leader of the band took a special interest in Amon, as he was quick to learn. He learned to play clarinet, flute, alto saxophone and oboe. He learned to read and arrange music. This is when he met his dear friend, Oboe Addy, who later brought him to the US in 1982.

He moved to the “Workers Brigade Band” in 1961. Being a British Colony Ghana had bands associated with many different government programs. Workers Brigade was associated with the farming sector. He made the move for better wages.

For the first time he traveled to Europe with this group. They played their music in Romania on an international goodwill mission. The Romanians had never seen a black person. When the band visited restaurants they were served RAW meat. This angered most of the band members. Not Amon, he simply got to know the people and educated them about the Africans. Knowing and understanding about people dispels prejudice. He began performing with many seasoned musicians at this time.In 1962 he married the first time and had six children.

He played with several dance bands in Ghana. He studied the flute for more than two years at the Royal School of Music in England. He was awarded his diploma with “Distinction” in 1971. (This was such a significant award that he needed no additional humanities classes years later when he went to college for his degree as a Registered Nurse. He told of being so excited when he got news of his superior award he jumped up and down on his bed, accidentally bashing his head into the wall. )

He preformed with many international musicians in Ghana and joined the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation band in 1968 when it was formed. He became its leader and performed regularly on television becoming a local celebrity. He remained in this position until 1982 when he came to America. The government was unstable in Ghana. There were Military coups. The broadcasting companies would be taken during attempts to overthrow the government. During the last coup Amon found himself pinned down, dodging bullets between the police and the men attempting to take over the broadcasting studio. After that experience he was determined to leave Ghana.

By this time his friend, Oboe Addy, was in the USA playing traditional African music with Kukrudu, the group Oboe led. He had been attempting to get Amon to the US for some time. Finally the US Government approved. Amon arrived through the Minnesota/St Paul airport in February 1982.

I met him in October 1982. We married August 20, 1983. He continued playing music with Kukrudu and taught music in the Portland School District. He went to Clark College for three years and graduated June 4, 1998 as a Registered Nurse.

A ceremony was held for him, in his native Ghana, West Africa, after his death. The following is an excerpt taken from the tribute that was written by his brothers for that ceremony:“For some of us in his family, Bro Amon’s achievement did not surprise us at all because in our heart of hearts we had always known without doubt that he was without question the smartest intellectual among us all.He was extraordinarily generous soul who shared his time and earthly possessions freely with all who were in need and who came his way. He was a good peace lover and a good peacemaker who abhorred violence and conflict. Above all, he was a very unassuming man living his life according to his own rhythm, psce and means, unmoved by others’ standard of life. For him dogged attachment to acquisition of material things was objectionable and unacceptable.Bro Amon loved Christ dearly. In his last days when his body was wracked with pain, he would frequently call home and ask us, his siblings to pray with him over the phone. He totally accepted all that life brought his way and with absolute faith that all would be well in the end.One gift that showed that he had Christ in him was the peace and calm he always exhibited in his life. We never heard him raise his voice in anger on any of us. Confrontation was not part of his nature and he laughed and joked effortlessly. He to the last radiated a peace that surpassed all understanding—a quality, or shall we call it strength, that saw him through the many trials and tribulations of his life without bending to the challenging circumstances.”

I hope Amon's grandchildren will someday read this and know their wonderful grandfather.

Barbara Kotey