Nostalgia: Why the Old Always Appears Better Today

Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie, in a recent interview by broadcaster Abeiku Santana of Okay FM, revealed his favourite five Ghanaian songs. The songs he listed interestingly did not include any from his repertoire. His reason was that, he considered his songs ‘too new’ and that they needed to stand the test of time.

His list, in the order of preference, was Dangerous (Daddy Lumba), Dede (Amandzeba), Asem Sebe (Obrafour), Kakai (Kojo Antwi) and Duakro (Ofori Amponsah).

Truly, the songs above may be ‘old’, looking at Sarkodie’s generation; however the feeling I got from his explanation was the respect he had for artistes he chose, in terms of their message and composition.

There is this feeling we all call ‘nostalgia.’ I felt it, and agreed that Sarkodie had made a good selection. I felt so because, listening to the songs as the interviewer played, the songs were all fresh and refreshingly different from what my ears had been tuned to in recent times.

But is it that thing we call nostalgia, all there is about it? Getting reacquainted with the past and getting some satisfaction? “A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past,” as Freedictionary.com puts it. Why would people be obsessed with the past, and see the past as holding forth something that must be cherished? Danniiee Blaccqq Menzzah, an aspiring poet and a producer of Doctar Cann’s Showbiz Xtra really set me thinking, inspiring me to write this piece.

Danniie is obsessed with Shakespeare and other writers of earlier generations. He loves Macbeth and he loves to quote and make references to it, and other writings. Certainly, that is the pride that any student of Literature carries. There is beauty in it though; it shows one’s level of thought and understanding of good piece of work and art for that matter.

But if the adage that “heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter” and the beautiful ones are yet to be born, then what good does the past hold? Shouldn’t we rather be concerned about the future?

Certainly, in the creative world, just like any other field, the future is just a dream or wish; an artiste’s or writer’s repertoire determines their worth.

I have love for films. Task me to select my all time favourite, and it will be an arduous task. However, Coming to America, Sister Act and Sound of Music will definitely feature. I just don’t know why; I just never get tired seeing these movies. And there is always something new I get to understand, aside their entertainment value.

The BBC, a month ago, released America’s 100 greatest films. According to the BBC, an American films “for the purposes of [the] poll, is any movie that received funding from a US source. The directors of these films [need] not have to be born in the United States… nor did the films even have to be shot in the US.”

The poll was conducted among film critics from around the world, and “each critic who participated submitted a list of 10 films, with their pick for the greatest film receiving 10 points and their number 10 pick receiving one point. The points were added up to produce the final list.

“Critics were encouraged to submit lists of the 10 films they feel, on an emotional level, are the greatest in American cinema – not necessarily the most important, just the best. These are the results.”

Apart from Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas produced in 1990, the first twenty were all films released earlier than 1975. Contemporary films certainly fared poorly with only six films from the 21st Century making it unto the list.

What I considered my favourite were all not on the list, but they still remain my favourite. This certainly begs to be asked? Why are the best films the old ones? Why will Shakespeare, Achebe, Ama Ata Aidoo continue to inspire young writers? Why will Tommy Annan Forson and KKD still continue to be the model for young broadcasters? But why is GTV and Uniiq FM not the model for broadcasting today? I don’t understand something.

Cultural critic Noah Gittell, in an interview with the BBC believes that “while critics may be unanimous in their praise of some contemporary films, they don’t impact society as a whole to the same degree that some of these older films do.

“If you look at the top ten movies, these are movies that for the most part impacted society all at once, collectively, and movies just don’t do that anymore,” Gittell added. Going by Grittel’s assertion, art is to impact. I do then understand why I look back into the past and revere certain things. I do appreciate why we all shared in Reggie Rockstone, the Hip Life Originator’s (I hope I am not blaspheming) line in his Keep Your Eyes on the Road song thus, “Shows like Osofo Dadzie, we all miss”. I do understand why the old folks stole the show at the Musiga Grand Ball.

And if Sarkodie is a ‘hell of a nation’ today, making all the impact, someday, I will look back, reflect on his works, with nostalgia, the same energy I look back at what GTV used to offer me (not what they give me today), and I am inspired to pay my TV license, and even more. Isn’t it all about nostalgia?

Source: www.futurehitz.wix.com/ghana