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LIFE STORY OF NANA KWAKU SAKYI
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Click here to view the biography of Nana Obosomfoo Yaw Mensah
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Nana Kwaku Sakyi was born Keith Anthony Blackman on November 13th 1957 in Port of Spain,
Trinidad, West Indies to the parents of Kenneth Patrick and Maize Claudette Blackman. Nana
Sakyi was brought up in a typical West Indian household, with his parents, sister,
grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. In the mid to late 60s his mother searching for
better opportunity for the family traveled to first Canada then later on to the United
States. Liking Washington D.C. she made it her home, after a while she sent for her husband.
In 1969 they sent for Nana and his sister to join them. Nana attended private schools, and
always had a love for drawing and art history. He placed third when he entered a national
poster contest sponsored by the President’s committee to hire the handicapped. In 1973 Nana
Sakyi took an interest in the martial arts and began to study. He demonstrated, competed
and fought in tournaments. Nana would go on to place third in The 3rd World Kuo Shu Kung
full contact tournament. He atended the University of Maryland in pursuit of a degree in
mechanical engineering. Realizing this was not his life mission Nana Sakyi decided to
pursue other interest.
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In 1985 Nana Sakyi was introduced to Akan worship under the teaching of Tigare Okomfo Nana
Kwabena Brown of the Temple of Nyame.
In 1987 Nana Sakyi began to experience the presence of a god around him, invited to an okom
celebration for a newly graduated Okomfo Nana Ama Nwotwerewa (trained by Nana Akosua Nsiah a
Ghanaian Okomfo trained in larteh) Nana Sakyi possessed his god.
Later on Nana and his wife Akosua Osunyoyin Alake shared a house with Nana Akosua Nsiah.
Nana Nsiah invited the head of the Larteh shrine Nana Akua Oparebeah to the U.S. Nana
Oparebeah initiated Nana Sakyi into the Larteh shrine and left him in the charge and
guidance of Nana Akosua Nsiah.
The god that possessed on Nana sakyi was an ancient Bono god from the Tano River in
Takyiman, Ghana.
The god would reveal himself little by little and after 2 years of training, the god came to
Nana in a dream and showed him his river, his town and instructed him to go there for
training. Nana Sakyi had two dreams that were instrumental in persuading him to make the
decision to go to Ghana and train. In the first dream, Nana saw himself climbing up to a
level, which looked like a room in another dimension. As he was pulling himself up he
noticed there was a very black muscular figure dressed in dark colors sitting against what
looked like a wall. The whole room or dimension was completely airy and filled with white
light and Nana could not distinguish up from down. This imposing figure sat with his arms
folded on his knees. His head was resting on his arms so that his face was hidden. In his
right hand he held a cutlass. As Nana continued to pull himself up he gasped as he saw this
compelling site of the god. The second dream also showed the god’s river. Nana saw himself
flying like a bird with arms outstretched over a river that meandered. He knew that the
river represented his god. The river seems to traverse great distances and was pure, clear
and peaceful. He saw tall trees reaching up to the sky. In these trees he noticed women
dressed in white with head wraps tending to their children. The river would bend and
straighten, flowing endlessly.
During this time Nana Kofi Effah’s god foretold that a stranger would come from far away
to be trained.
In 1989, guided by his intuition Nana embarked on his life’s journey. Not knowing where to
go, Nana sought the advice from his dear friend and mentor Nana Kwabena Brown. Nana Brown
gave him a promotional flyer of the acclaimed documentary he had seen "Bono Medicine"
featuring a witch catching Okomfo Nana Kofi Effah, Asuobonten Obosomfoo Nana Kofi Donkor,
(who would became his teachers), Afra Obosomfoo Nana Kofi Owusu and the name of a town,
Takyiman.
Nana needed addresses to go along with these names, so he consulted the advice of the
Ghanaian Embassy. He was asked a very important question that forever would change his
life. Which Takyiman are you referring to, Old Takyiman, or New Takyiman? Nana pondered
and thought to himself, what he experienced had to be old, so he said Old Takyiman. Nana
wrote three letters to the names mentioned on the flyer, only Nana Kofi Effah responded
and invited him to come and train.
Invited by Nana Kofi Effah, Nana Sakyi traveled to Takyiman. Nana Effah greeted and welcomed
him then took him to greet his god Asuotipa. Nana Effah poured libation then gave Nana Sakyi
alcohol to pour libation to welcome his god. Nana Sakyi possessed his god. After they were
finished Nana Effah took him to greet the family elders. The family heads met and decided
that since Nana came a great distance without any family representation something had to
be done. They understood that Nana Sakyi was not familiar with their protocol and culture.
It was decided that Nana Kofi Donkor (father to Nana Effah) would adopt Nana as one of his
sons and give him his family name, Sakyi.
Nana Sakyi was the first ever to go to Takyiman be initiated, graduated as a Kumkuma Bono
Okomfo, and brings back a Tano god in a brass pan.
Culture, gratitude and accurate historical record demand that Nana’s interpreter and
Okyeame, Kofi Sakyi (son of Nana Kofi Donkor) be mentioned for his indispensable role
during his training.
Nana Kwaku Sakyi’s teachers were Nana Kofi Effah (Asuotipa Okomfo); Nana Kofi Sakyi,
popularly know as Nana Kofi Donkor (Asuobonten Obosomfoo); and Nana Adwoa Akumsah (Akumsah
Okomfo and elder sister of Nana Kofi Donko
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