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| NEW YORK CITY EXPLODES AT XMAS WITH WHO IS WHO IN GHANAIAN LIVE HIGHLIFE MUSIC. |
12/23/2006 |
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Christmas in Ghana is a special occasion that Ghanaians do no play with at all, they make sure they celebrate all aspects of it from 23rd to the new year''s eve. Ghanaians love merry making especially when it comes to attending live dance sessions at Xmas. Dance band music always brings the golden years nolstagia to many a mature people from Ghana. Tip Toe Gardens in Accra, Star Nite Club at Kumasi, Talk of the Town Hotel, Tema, Princess Cinema Hall and many dance and concert halls across the country of Ghana brings those memories. At least Ghanaians back home can still enjoy the re-emergence of the live band music with venues like Abrantee Spot at Abeka Lapaz, but what about the Ghanaian diaspora especially in the tristate area of New York, New Jersey and Connectitcut?
To relive the golden age and to fill that void comes a team in an entertainment SOS for the United States. The team consisting of the Bridges Sounds & Entertainment Inc,the Golden Ears Productions Inc, the Kings of Kings African Market, Bronx and the International Centre for African Culture & Arts is bringing to the city of New York and its surroundings a Super Highlife Dance Explosion featuring three of Ghanaian''s most sort after highlife musicians in a who is who performance.
Performance will take place on the 30th December, 2006 at 1948 Washington Ave (St. Joseph''s Church Hall- Between 178th and E. Tremont Ave.) BRONX.
For the sake of non-Ghanaians, here is a simple biography of the three highlight performers.
OBUOBA J. A. ADOFO (THE BLACK CHINESE)
Obouba is a sterling performer and entertainer with many years experience. He is a news maker wherever he goes. Widely traveled Adofo is a music icon in Ghana and is currently winning new crop of fans among the black diaspora as part of an educational and performance tour in the US courtesy of the International Centre for African Culture & Arts.
Highly remembered and adored for his love songs, Adofo and his Ghana''s City Boys band are news headliners whenever they perform in Ghana and are crowd pullers.
A man who humbly began as a lotto receiver in Accra ( Mamprobi) has risen to stardom unsurpassed in Ghana''s music history.Almost every mature Ghanaian knows or have heard of Adofo''s music. A live dance or concert party performance without playing the ever popular "Ankwanobi" is a receipt for courting disaster at any City Boys band''s program.
Want to read more on Adofo?
check the following
htpp://drumghana.tripod.com/adofo/
ERIC AGYEMAN ( WONKO MEKO ANAA FAME)
Eric Agyeman is the next musician in this who is who encounter. He made his name as a roots guitarist with Dr. K. Gyasi and His Noble Kings, a band in Kumasi, which he joined in 1972.
The young Eric Agyeman had started his career playing highlife and Western pop in the Kumasi-based guitar band the Afro Boateng Midnight Movers in 1963, first as a drummer and then as a guitarist. By 1972 he had joined Kwame Gyasi as guitarist, singer and arranger for his band known as Dr. K. Gyasi and His Noble Kings.
Rising quickly to become bandleader, Agyeman together with singer and drummer Thomas Frempong developed a vibrant new form of music, "Sikyi" highlife, which was to revolutionize highlife music and influenece a string of younger talents.
Eric later migrated to Tema the harbor city of Ghana to play the famous Sweet Talks, a resident band of the then Talk of the Town Hotel, Tema where he played with the likes of AB Crentsil, Smart Nkansah, Ekow Tuyee, Arthur King, etc. He traveled the world with the band to perform and to record highlife hits including Osooko.
He later formed his own band KOKROKO which also made name for itself playing to full houses in Ghana and abroad.
He is known popularly for hitz such as Wonko Meko Anaa..... sing along with me...mebroni ei aye a ennye me saa.....
KAAKYIRE KWAME APPIAH ( 24TH BRONYA AND SOROKU FAME)
Kaakyire Kwame Appiah is a highlife musician in Ghana who is famous for his Soroku music which is very danceable and party-like. He is most noted and famous for his maiden album the 24th Yekodi Bronya that catapulted him into an instant stardom. In the song his lyrics narrated the rural -urban migration experience about how most urban dwelling Ghanaians pack bag and baggage (polythene bags) during Christmas and travel to their hometowns on the 24th of December to go celebrate the holidays. This music resurrects yearly in Ghana.
His subsequent music such as Soroku and Atrapo are very danceable, melodious and are chart toppers in Ghana .
Currently touring the United Kingdom, Kaakyire''s performance in the city is his gift for Ghanaians in the US and his fans globally for the holidays.
SUPPORTING ARTISTES:
Tony Montana is a new US based Ghanaian multi-talented highlife and hip life musician. He plays bass,keyboards and drums so well. He is one of the backing instrumentalist.Check this guy, he has a new CD which has the potential to set Ghanaian music scene ablaze. Medo as the title is uses a sample of Shaggy''s music and the patio on it is done by the great DILLY DEE (Heavy D-Formerly of Joy FM, Ghana).
Kwame Sarpong -Ever loved Atisco love song, he is the man behind it. Watch out for his latest album soon. Others are Papa Shee (see papashee.com),Nsoroma and Papa Cozy all hiplfe musicians based in the city.
BANDSMEN:
If ever there has been any assembly of live band musicians better than this one, I will ilke someone to write to me to challenge this assertion.
With musicians who have performed for the likes of Kojo Antwis, Jewel Arkahs, Amakye Dedes, AB Crentsils,Nana Tuffours, Lumbas, Ofori Amponsahs and a host of popular gospel artistes from Ghana, one will not be exaggerating to say that patrons will have their money worth for this one of a kind dance.
Featuring versatile Kofi Wusu and almighty Papa Jama on drums, Okyerema Kwabena Prekese Akyampon Tenten on percussion, the wonderful Tony Montana on keyboards and Bass,Kofi (Formerly of the Armed Forces band on Bass, the ever loving Twum Barima on Trumpet with Ahomansiahene Eric Agyeman doing the strings, what more would you expect to see and hear as authentic Ghanaian highlife than this?
Seeing these musicians at rehearsals makes one starts counting the days. So here comes Ghana in style in the United States.Come and celebrate the Xmas in style and meet long lost friends.
For ticket information call 718-515-6110 or email ghanasankofaarts@yahoo.com.
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