Amarachi Attamah

Amarachi Attamah
Alma mater	Syracuse University
Known for	Igbo chant performance

Amarachi Attamah-Ugwu [amarat͡ʃi atama-uɡʷu] is a Nigerian Chant Performance artist, writer, poet, broadcaster, and an advocate for the preservation of the Igbo language from extinction.^[1][2][3] She is an Igbo language Instructor in the Harvard African Language Program, department of African and African American studies, Harvard University.^[4][5] She is also an Igbo language instructor in the Directed Independent Language Program (DILP), at the Yale center for language study, Yale University.^[6][7][8] In 2023, she won the Mark and Pearle Clements Internship Award of $4000 in Syracuse University to support her independent research work: "Museum mapping of Igbo masks in United States and indigenous conceptualization".^[9][2]  She was a presenter in the Enugu State Broadcasting Service,^[10] and the vice president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (Enugu State chapter).^[1] As a chant artist, she has performed in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom (where she completed a four-month performance fellowship with the Royal National Theatre after fifty-two theatre productions of the Three Sisters, A play by Inua Ellams, directed by Nadia Falls).^[11][12] Attamah is the executive director of Nwadioramma Concept and founder of OJA Cultural Development Initiative.^[13][1][10] In 2020, she made a poetic documentary of the abandoned heroes of the Biafran war, entitled, Ogbunigwe.^[10] She also made another documentary about the horrors of the Biafran war as told by war veterans entitled, "Biafuru".^[14] She is the author of Tomorrow's Twist (2007), My Broad Daydream (2011), Making A Difference (2014) and Akuko lfo Nnemochie Kooro m (2014), a collection of short stories in lgbo.^[13][1] In 2021, Attamah co-authored Elephant Tusk with Jeff Unaegbu and others. She is a member of the African Studies Association;^[15] Enugu Literary Society, and Association of Critical Heritage Studies.^[16]

Early life and education

Attamah was born on January 31, 1988, in Bauchi State to Ọzọ Chirolu Hyacinth Attamah Nwa Otti and Lọọlọ Ụzọamaka Bridget Attamah (Nee Ezema) of Ubogidi, Edem-anị, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.^[2][17] She attended Army Children School, Nasme, Markurdi, from 1994 to 2000; Junior Secondary Education (middle school) at Army Day Secondary School, Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria, from 2000 to 2003. Senior secondary education (high school) at Universal Comprehensive Secondary School, Nsukka, Enugu State, from 2003 to 2006. She attended the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, earning a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication in 2012.^[17] She earned a master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria. Nsukka in 2017.^[2] Attamah came to the United States to study Museum Studies and Cultural Heritage Preservation at Syracuse University, New York.^[18][2] She performed chants in the university's events.^[19][20] In May 2023, she graduated with a master's degree and was the graduate closing speaker during the College of Visual and Performing Arts Masters hooding ceremony of the university.^[21][9]

Career

As a chant performance artist, she promotes Igbo language and culture.^[22] She was influenced by Professor Anezi Okoro and she had performed during the Gendering Africa Symposium, an annual Africa Women Conference at Columbia University.^[13][9][18] She has also performed during the African Studies annual conference at Philadelphia, Shenandoah Valley Juneteenth celebration, Virginia, a featured performance at Syracuse University art museum and performance exhibition at the museum studies intangible heritage showcase.^[16] Attamah featured in the Igbo Conference organized in the UK, Abuja Literary Festival, Nigeria, Global Poetry Festival organized by Shared_Studio and Divercities poetry connect by Planet Word Museum, both of US based organizations.^[12] In 2019, she performed a Solo Chant exhibition at Waterloo, London, UK.^[2] Her performance was a selected act for the Syracuse Performance Identities Across Cultures (PICS) in 2022 and 2023.^[18][9]  Attamah was one of the judges of the Poetry Translation Centre's Lagos / London Poetry completion.^[23] In 2019, her organization, OJA Cultural Development Initiative, partnered with Dzimbanhete Arts and Culture Interactions Trust based in Zimbabwe for the Sounds of the Sacred Web Festival.^[24] In 2021, Attamah and Charles Ogbu began to re-publicize the person and music of the Igbo folklorist, Mike Ejeagha.^[25][26]

Publications

• Immortality- Ọnyịrịọnwụ - Poetry publication in the African Policy Journal. Harvard University, 2022.
• Let’s do it again – poetry publication in the Association of Nigeria Journal of creative writing, 2015.
• Anya m - an Igbo poem published in Praxis Magazine for Arts and Culture, 2015.^[2]

Filmography

• Ogbunigwe- Poetic Documentary of the Biafran War.^[10]
• Biafuru: Our Story and Survival.^[14]

Personal life

Attamah is married to Ike Ugwu, the author of the novel, Sakabula: The Widowbird.^[27]

References

1. "'My performance is my quota to the revival of Igbo language'". The Guardian (Nigeria). 2017-06-25. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
2. "AMARACHI CV.pdf". Retrieved 2024-08-13.
3. Ameh, Ebere. "Attamah: Why God made me failed Igbo Language in my WASCE". Muckrack (New Telegraph).
4. Usulor, Israel (2024-01-23). ""Igbo amaka": Nigerian lady becomes Igbo language teacher in two US universities". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
5. admin_edu. ""I'm Humbled": Nigerian Lady To Teach Igbo Language At Harvard And Yale Universities". Retrieved 2024-08-13.
6. Stella, Gistlover (2024-01-23). "Nigerian lady appointed to teach Igbo Language at Harvard and Yale Universities". Gistlover. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
7. "Meet Amarachi Attamah, Igbo Chant Performer, Now Appointed As An Igbo Language Instructor At Harvard & Yale University". 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
8. Roundoff (2024-01-26). "Nigeria Lady Gets Appointment To Teach Igbo Abroad". Roundoff News. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
9. Africa, The Social Voice (2023-07-26). "What You Should Know About Leadership Rebirth Conference 7.0". The Social Voice Africa. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
10. "OGBUNIGWE (A Trailer): Documentary of the Biafran War By Amarachi Attamah". Ngiga Review. 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
11. "National Theatre Collection: Three Sisters − Learning Guide" (PDF). Bloomsbury.
12. "Amarachi Attamah". Poetry Translation Centre. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
13. "Amarachi Attamah: It hasn't been easy, but we have succeeded - She Leads Africa". 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
14. Vincent, John Chizoba (2018-10-09). "REVISITING BIAFURU: OUR STORY OF MISERY AND SURVIVAL". Words Rhymes & Rhythm. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
15. "Attamah, Amarachi". African Studies Association Portal - ASA. 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
16. "DIRECTORY". Association of Critical Heritage Studies. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
17. "Attamah Calista". Dinfa.
18. "Performing Identities Across Cultures Presents: Recharging Home" (PDF).
19. "Community Calendar - Syracuse.edu". calendar.syracuse.edu. 2022-02-07. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
20. "Community Calendar - Syracuse.edu". calendar.syracuse.edu. 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
21. "College of Visual and Performing Arts Master's Hooding Ceremony" (PDF). Syracuse University. p. 2.
22. "Need For Undergraduates To Embrace Their Mother Tongues". therecordunn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
23. "Translating Igbo poet Amarachi Attamah with Joseph Ike". Poetry Translation Centre. 2022-11-07. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
24. "SOSAWEF – Sounds of the sacred web festival – Culture at work Africa". 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
25. "Meet And Greet Ejeagha: A historic visit to legendary folklorist Mike Ejeagha | Triumph Times". 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
26. "Thank You For The Folklore Gentleman Mike Ejeagha - Naija Times". 2021-04-04. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
27. "Amarachi Attamah Publishes Her Husband Ike Ugwu's Novel as a Sweet Wedding Surprise". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-08-14.