A few years into its formation, the said music wing evolved into a vibrant ministering group with a sizeable membership under the name God’s Instruments, GI for short, and since then it has redirected its aim to reach out to souls everywhere possible.

However, it was under the leadership of gospel music wiz, Kofi Dua Anto as music director of the group that a special mark was realised which will for a long time remain an inspiration for the group- the release of mind blowing and highly inspirational album for the group, Awurade Ei.

With members composing all songs and variety of musical taste incorporated into the project album, it was released in 2003 and instantly became a favourite among gospel fans at the tertiary education level. Later, title track Awurade Ei (Se Woma Wonsa So Aa…) and Onyame Ye D’awase walked the album forward for mainstream attention which it gradually received before becoming famous among most worshippers.

Awurade Ei as an outreach album has helped the group to reach out to souls on campuses and outside all these while until quite recently when Gye W’ayeyi was put together as a compliment to the former. Speaking to this reporter in an interview, the album’s music director, Elliot Lamptey, intimated that, “Even though we would say that Gye W’ayeyi has come to add to the previous album, the new direction received is to invoke the spirit of true worship in Man, God’s creation. We pray for an unusual sense of conviction to worship as one listens to the album.”

Gye W’ayeyi opens with an intro characterised by a soulful background vocal laced with a deep-voiced speech that briefly exposes on the album’s message of essence - inspiring one to put on the spirit of true worship.

Medan Wo, done in reggae vein with good vocals, follows to share the willingness of a believer to wait on God at all times because He is one’s fortress and provider. Hyira Ne Din and Mesom No are exquisitely done in highlife. The former, a mid-tempo song, is based on a number of praise Psalms and the latter has creative salsa licks as intro before a classical Highlife completes the song to express the joy one finds in Jesus and the consequent resolution to follow him forever.

Next are Gye W’ayeyi, M’agyenkwa and a Worship Medley. Gye W’ayeyi, the title track which features Kofi Dua Anto, is well composed and produced.

It displays the group’s high level of maturity in co-ordination between lead and backing vocals and the instrumentalists, especially where alternations and high notes mattered. M’agyenkwa is a soul inspiring song that reflects the salvation message of Jesus. A collection of a number of worship songs from the public domain: Nyankopon, Yehowa Yeyi W’aye and Yen Nananom, make up the worship medley.

The Answer Is and I Will Walk admonishes one to love God first, receive his eternal love and share it with others while making room in one’s heart to accept him wholly. The good instrumentations behind of these songs are worth noting. On the other hand, it is Aseda, a personal favourite, which takes the album to a different level.

Blessed with rich elements of Adowa rhythms and the versatility of the two lead vocals, the fast-paced praise song ponders over the works of God and finds a thankful heart to adore and praise Him. Awurade Ei (Root Mix II,) a song with good percussions seals the album on a good note when it marvels at God’s works in our lives.

On the whole, though “Gye W’ayeyi” was put together within a year unlike the previous of over three, it still is a must-have album rich in inspiration and production, obviously firming the assertion that the country’s ‘real’ gospel music scene is found on campuses and in churches and not on radio and TV as we are being made to believe.

However, with the failure of most gospel groups on campuses to market well their albums, Gye W’ayeyi may also go unnoticed just like Gospel Explosion’s Yi Naye. But this the group’s new music director Joshua Amoah and his colleagues are working on.

All songs are written and executively produced by God’s Instruments of KNUST BSU and mixed at KODED Studios by Kofi Dua Anto. Christian and Challenge Music shops all of Accra are its main distribution outlets but the group could be contacted on KNUST campus for copies and bookings.

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He truly didn’t look good when news of his arrest broke but the day he returned home from the U.K won him more fans and sold him more records than probably expected. There was special public focus and attention on his ‘a friend in need’ album.

“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder nanso weidie waye me settei,” were the words in the chorus of the ‘settei’ song. The song is about love, beauty and betrayal. Daasebre touches on a little girl who disappointed him after he reposed so much trust in her.

Teardrops fell down his cheeks but what can one do when the milk is spilt. May be Daasebre is helping each one of us with a song like this by sharing his lessons of life.

The title track of the album is based on the popular proverb ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’.

Stardom comes with a lot of friends and Daasebre must have learnt a thing or two from his experience. The song talks about the difference between pure friendship and money. ‘Love is not money’ he says in the song.

The nine-track album had tracks like wafom, abofra besu, a friend in need, maama no ntokwa, ke minsumo bo, settei among others.

Wafom appeared strongly on many music charts in the capital as the main drive of the album. All the songs on the album were written and arranged by Daasebre Gwamena. Sugartone of Option Digital Studios programmed, recorded and mixed all nine tracks on the album.

Asked why he was off the scene for such a long time, he said he laid low for that time because God wanted him to go through spiritual changes in his career and personal life and to also perfect whatever he is doing.

7 stands for perfection, “God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day” he said. So it’s the way of the Almighty to take him through spiritual perfection.

The reggae artiste who has done collaboration with the Grammy award winner Isaac Hayes about prevention of AIDS has a distribution deal in Australia and will be touring the country next month for some gigs with his men.

Though the quality associated with this fine reggae artiste, smokes all over the album there are a lot of questions on two tracks that talk about the fait that an average hard core Rasta man will need herbs.

On one song he sang, “Rawlings say Boom, Boom, Boom and Kuffour say waaa, waaa, waaa. 

Asked to explain the rationale behind the song he said he got it through revelation. He said he once met a mysterious woman on an airplane who he had a chat with. She told him she likes how Ghanaian politics is growing and that she was around when the former President J J Rawlings made the Boom speech and Kuffour also made the Waaa waaa speech. 

The fact of the matter is these two leaders are not on good terms which is an unfortunate incident because they are supposed to set a precedent for the rest of us to follow and if it turns out to be otherwise, then it clearly spells out how bad our leadership is.

Basically, the song is to remind people about how the politicians are exploiting us and leaving us hungry whilst “Dem Belly full”.

So in effect, the song is meant to portray the political situation in the country and its status and warn people of them because even Jesus condemned politicians.

He said this particular song came after he had finished doing the entire album of thirteen songs. He said after having a chat with the lady on the plane, he couldn’t find her again after a frantic search, just to contact her again for probably another insightful conversation but mysteriously she was no where to be found.

Two weeks later he dreamt he had seen her standing in a corner and when he went up to her, she looks him in the eye and tells him to do the song. He asked her which song and she said “The Boom Boom and Waaa Waaa song”.

 As he laughed out loud, he woke up and three days later, the song came running through his head like that and that continued for 5 consecutive days until he could take it no more so he went to see his band in the studio and they decided to put something together without even rehearsing.

The first try was done so perfect and sang the song from A to Z without realizing what he was doing. After playing, they all heard the song and were surprised how well-laid it was. They didn’t even try to do it again because it was perfectly done the first time.

Talking about the ‘Maata’ song, he said he is surprised people are mistaken it to mean different things. They say he is talking about flatulence because it goes like “Maata Fish, Maata Tish and Maata Po; and in Ghana that sounds like “I have farted Fish, Tish and Poo….

He feels it’s absurd that people are taking it that way. He gave an example that the name Oko in Ghana is a Ga name but in Nigeria it’s profane; you dare not say that word in public. Again amongst the Fantes they say “Nnyow” (yes) but in South Africa it’s too profane among other examples.

He said those words are names of some folks from Papau New Guinea who helped him back in the seventies when he was young but lost track of them and is now trying to reach them through his song.

“The Maata Fish, Tish and Poo are names of one family with the same surname. That is why a verse in the lyrics goes like, ‘Maata’. Try and get in touch with I through shashamarley@yahoo.com”, he continued.

So he wishes people will listen to the lyrics well because there is much of conscious vibes in there. Asked whether he will love to stage a show and unite Kuffour and Jerry, he said yes just like Bob Marley did once in Jamaica. But he wonders if those two will really honour an invitation like that. He stresses that, the politicians are taking us for granted and they have been doing so for a long time.

He feels it’s about time we sit up and love another and be each brother’s keeper because politicians can only divide us not unite us. He said the heart  of politicians’ is so hardened there is nothing you can do to change them.

To end his interview, he said he wish that peace prevail among us and we shouldn’t forget to learn to broaden our horizon and also everybody should make it a duty upon himself to grab a copy of his album to benefit from the lyrics in it.

Esum is a nine-track album programmed, mixed, mastered and directed by Dan Grahl, otherwise known as Tacobell. The album has songs like ‘kro hin kro’, ‘poppy’, ‘adaadaa’, ‘Beverly’, ‘Nana wo hene’, ‘wele wele’ and ‘gyina pintin’.

‘Kro hin kro’ is a love song that talks about his girlfriend whom he loves and has given all his heart. The song has a Ga and English touch in terms of language and sounds Hi-life musically. The lady is referred to as a queen in the song. Kontihene doesn’t seem to care what anybody thinks about his relationship with this lady. ‘Kro hin kro’ is an expression of love for a woman.

‘Poppy’ is quite a slow song on domestic violence. He recalls how his father beats his mother in the house for no reason. The chorus is catchy and Kontihene’s lyrics were woven appropriately. It’s about the real issue of how husbands mistreating their wives as their kids look on. The song deals with fathers who would prefer to spend money on alcohol to paying school fees and taking care of their wives and children.

‘Adaada’ features Dela of TV3 Mentor III fame. It tells men to beware of beautiful women who may claim to love them for their own interests. Kontihene talks about relationships that break hearts and end up in disappointments. Watch out for more on this fresh album from Kontihene.

There are six songs on the promo CD that we intercepted from deep sources. ‘Incomplete’ is the first track and features Teddy on an R&B tip. Tinny expresses in music how incomplete he is without his lover in this song.

“We got the gun powder, so open up wider, let me see you shake the body,” so starts intro of the next song titled ‘lighter’. The song grooves with a dancehall rhythm that can rock in any club or pub.

Tinny’s rap style changes to a dancehall pattern as well, moving the unmovable with strong lyrics. Okra featured on this track leaving indelible lyrical marks.

You may have seen the music video of ‘now I know’ on MTV Base but it’s not quite the same listening to the full song in audio. “Baby girl the way you dey do me, oh dey make I dey honey, de way yu whine make I feel fine, before I don’t know but now I know,” the chorus flows in an assuasive tone. The pidgin language used in the song should tell you the Aleste Kankpe is targeting a market bigger than Ghana. The song features Richie and Samini. And check Samini’s lyrics out; “I like de way de gal dey dance wid her backside defence, oh she got me attentive, when I look I no dey fi stop look, look look see, she got me aggressive.”
Tinny with friend

Other songs on the promo copy include ‘striker’ which features K.K Fosu, ‘aleste ogboo’ and ‘kaa bu ame’. The album is expected to contain fifteen songs set to shake Ghana and the world. Tinny’s third album may help him break through the worldwide stage now that he’s doing Ga, English, Pidgin and Twi. Here is the new Tinny with Kaa Bua Ame.

Now she is not so sure. “I am finding it increasingly difficult doing so because both demand so much of my time which I cannot share equally. I find myself skipping classes to be somewhere else for my music and now it is becoming too stressful,” she says.

“I would have lost my teaching job by now if my headmistress had not been so understanding about my absenteeism though she sometimes gets angry with me because my class loses when I am not there. The other staff also complain sometimes and I don’t know how long I can continue like this.”

She never thought things would turn out this way because she initially did not realise the all- consuming nature of the industry she was entering and how successful she would become.

She says given the chance to choose, she would opt for music because that is her passion, though she likes teaching.

She seems to have retained her humble and calm disposition in spite of the popularity that has come her way.

According to her, it surprises and thrills her at the same time when people recognise her in the streets.

“I’m happy that people like what I do and show their appreciation. It makes me feel very humble because I never thought that this could happen to me. I am grateful to God for all His blessing”.

Ohemaa has released her second album, Edin Ben to see if she still has what it takes to sustain the success she achieved with her first album Made Me Ho.

The album contains inspiring songs capable of lifting up the spirits of anyone who listens with enough attention.

Easily the best song on the album, Menwu Da is beautiful for its meaningful lyrics. According to Ohemaa, she got the inspiration for that track after visiting the late Brother Philip, who was a friend, in hospital.

“I left him feeling very sad. The message came when I left the hospital and I decided to do it to encourage others.” That might account for why she sings the song with so much passion.

It is a slow song that makes use of very few instruments. Ohemaa sings that even when at the verge of death with no hope left, she still has faith and will not die but will live to declare the good works of the Lord. She encourages her listeners to do the same.

It is a duet with Nacy, who also happens to be her sound engineer.

The title track, Edin Ben is also another collaboration with Nacy and it has a danceable rhythm. Nacy really has a great voice and enhances the song so much.

They ask what name we would call on when we find ourselves in trouble. The chorus answers that it is Jesus’ name.

They give options like gods, witches and fetish priests and ask whether they have the power to give us the eternal life we seek.

It is a song that encourages us to seek the face of God at all times whether good or bad.

W’adwen is based on Ohemaa’s life and the troubles she’s been through. “After I released my first album, things became very tough for my husband and I.

We went through very trying times. I thought God had given up on us but I later realised that he had not and that it was the way I thought”.

And that is the subject matter of the song. It clearly says that it is our minds that deceive us into thinking that God has neglected us or given up on us but He never does and never will. She encourages us to continue to put our trust in God only.

It has a highlife rhythm and a very good chorus, something that runs through the whole album.

Other songs on the album are Fefeefe, Nahendi, Adwenpa, Se Manhyia Yesu, Meda Wase, Menbo Hu and Oye Onyame.

Ohemaa acknowledges the support of Big Ben, her producer for believing so much in her and her husband for his encouragement.

With songs like “Champion”, “Modern Ghanaians”, “Fame Sika Mame”, “I want to see my father” and “Obia ani begye”, the album will find itself prancing in other circles of the music arena other than Ghana.

Champion is a song with typical Pidgen music sound underlined by King Ayisoba’s Kologo instrument.

(more…)

Luther Azameti a.k.a PAPI (rapper) and Jeffery Opuku Agyeman a.k.a KILLI (rapper and singer) forms this creative and dynamic duo.

Their artistic name “5FIVE” stands for 50:50 without both zeros which simply means equal share of what they have with their fans anywhere on this planet. The title of their debut eight songs on tapes and thirteen songs on CD album is “Your Love” which is also the first track.

(more…)

That’s why the two 10-track Best of The Lifes Vol. 1 album released last year by A.B. Crentsil and Obuor has caught on so well with the public.The album is a collection of re-worked hits from the duo.

Apart from the massive support they gained from fans during their nation-wide tour to promote the album, Crentsil and Obuor were also nominated in the Best Collaboration of the Year category at this year’s Ghana Music Awards (GMA) festival.

(more…)

The title of their new album is, “Tha Bomb”. It’s difficult to tell whether the bomb is a B52, bunker bomber or an atomic bomb. Bad news for those who wanted to see the group in shreds; Praye is very much intact and firmly in shape with their acoustic guitar in hand.

“Ka Kyere Me”, is a song on the new album that starts almost like their “Shoddy” track but has a fresh twist and lyrical arrangement. A mix of Twi, Ga and English isn’t a far cry from their previous album.

The song is marked by a slight church-like string of piano works laid in the background. The message in the song is, if your lover has wronged you, let him/her know and don’t keep it a secret.

“Jacket” is a song that wears a dancehall jacket by way of its instrumentation. The humor of Praye is not lost here. The chorus says his lover got him stripped of his jacket, singlet, boxers and scarf in the open because of sheer hate.

It’s a love song that depicts how difficult some women can be no matter how deep your love is for them. The irony of love and hate in “Jacket” is intriguing.

Now this one can sell big in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and in other African countries where broken English is widely spoken. The track title is “Wife” and it talks about how somebody’s wife has been carried away because of money, and asks what he can do to rescue her. It is well harmonized in what sounds like an Adowa rhythm. It’s a good blend of African tones; call it Afro Pop if you want.

This is really new on the scene and very limited copies are being played on few radio stations. Showghana.com is honoured to share this exclusive with you. Massive respect to Praye. Keep flying higher.