The Vim Views & Versions - Blogs of a MIghTy African

I met Kwame Nsiah-Apau and interviewed him in 2008. I came away very impressed. He was working towards his Bachelor's Degree at KNUST. Really smart dude. Time has proven that he is a really smart dude. Growing up in Ghana, we say the smartest folks become the doctors. He calls himself the Rap Doctor.  He helped popularize Wear Ghana and has become one of our best #MadeInGhana ambassadors. More on this later.  He and Okyeame Quophi helped popularize hiplife through Akyeame, one of the first great duos. His successful solo career took hiplife to another level. Mesan Aba is one of my all-time favorites, and his rap on this track is legendary. Word play be what. However, we're talking about his solo hits . He called himself the best rapper alive. I started this series with Obrafour and ended with Okyeame Kwame, it's apt - they have some small history together. I think Okyeame Kwame challenges him for best Ghanaian lyricist ever . Let's listen to the music. Woso (2009) T

 While the likes of Angelique Kidjo were making lots of money playing to foreign and mostly white crowds, P-Square was also making serious money playing to Nigeria, African and black crowds on the continent and beyond. They were the first African act doing popular youthful African music to really go global, alongside 2Face Idibia. And they could perform! I once went to  their concert  in Oakland, California and they were worth every price of admission. They released a string of hits in the first decade of the 21st century and continued to remain at the top. They have many classics to choose from. Here are my top 3. No One Like You (2007) One of the best African wedding songs ever.  The video is spectacular. P-Square is probably the biggest African act ever and tracks like this prove their standing. Their use of Pidgin English and regular English is great and the lyrics to this song is great too. The song starts off really well in my opinion, "Hello how you doing; My angel, my one

One cannot talk about Ofori Amponsah without talking about Daddy Lumba, methinks. DL aka Daddy Lumba aka Da Legend released some songs at the turn of the century featuring Mr All4Real. A couple of years down the line, he became the biggest musician in Ghana. He led the Contemporary Highlife genre, in tow with my buddy Kofi Nti, helped ragga become part of mainstream Ghana music through his features with Barosky.  Ofori Amponsah became born-again (which makes me think about Lord Kenya's song of the name and Lord Kenya's story as well). He never quite had popular gospel songs. His highlife songs are classics and they live on. His music features heavily in Ghanaian weddings too. His songs feature in my favorites .  Otoolege (2005) I believe Otoolege is one of the top five songs ever from Ghana. Apart from it being well-written, well-composed and well-sung, this song ended the dominance of hiplife from 2001 to 2004 at the Ghana Music Awards. I love singing this song in the shower,

Ahead of March 6th , I told my wife Tracy that I was going to an event which was about Karaoke, Sip, & Paint . I mentioned that I was not as keen about the painting, but the karaoke? Count me there. Sipping is just a bonus. Babe said that why would you go to a painting thing and not paint ? She's a painter. Literally in more than one way and figuratively too. She's painted some pieces, and she can draw well to boot. I have always wanted to go with her to some of the painting things, whether at the Republic Bar, Eleven15 , anywhere we can access. Ghana's Independence Day Holiday brought an opportunity for me and I took it. Today is March 23 , as in 23-3 , which has 233 in it. I took another opportunity to expand the painting, especially of a Ghana map on Ghana's birthday . The venue was in Labone - the Brown Sugar Lounge . I arrived at Brown Sugar Lounge and sought out  Efe Keyz . She's a  musician , an entrepreneur running El's Foods Ghana and an  AccraKon

March 6 is a very important date for me . I think you know why. March 23 is also very important. You might not know why. It's not because it is the date I am writing this blog post . It is because it is 23-3 , the date. You get it now? 233. #233moments . This is the date within #HeritageMonth that I chose to write about what I did on the date for which March is also called #GhanaMonth . I had a memorable day.  I wanted to go for the #HeritageCaravan this year. But even though I carved out the time; time, chance, expenses, responsibilities happened to it. I remember how I shouted "No, No, No" when I heard on the Citi Breakfast Show one morning in January that it was sold out. I'd come back to that in another blog post. I spent the first weekend in March in Elmina due to family engagements, great way to start the month actually. I kept wondering what I would do for Ghana's birthday . I was not going to attend the parade, I listed many reasons around that in an

The last time I saw Sarkodie perform was at the #PresecBonfire night in 2022. I was chatting with some Odadees and all of a sudden, people stopped chatting and started paying attention to the stage. You Know What Time It Is ! It was Sarkodie who had appeared on stage and everyone had to listen to him, see him perform, and sing or rap along. He thoroughly deserved to be crowned the artist of the 2010s decade in Ghana. People believe he is the true torchbearer who took over from Obrafour. Sarkodie has been freestyling for ages in Tema and releasing mixtapes that went viral. He's become very commercial, but why shouldn't he? He deserves his success in my opinion.  Haa baako y ɛ  10K! I just love the way he reps Tema . One day, we shall find a way to bring Sarkodie to Barcamp Tema , that's a dream. SarkNation is a thing. It's not just the music, it's the aura, it's the concerts, it's the songs he drops with the pulse of the people. Truly, an artist. I am going

In this tournament squad of musicians , this spot came down to Usher & Ne-Yo . Or this post for that matter. Usher won because he sang about waakye. I am lying? Have you seen this meme or clip before? There is a TikTok trend about this too o! I love American R&B and Usher is one of the all-time best. He even came to Ghana to perform at the Global Citizen Festival . No, I have not met him before. I have not even tried to go to any concert he is performing at. iTunes was good for me, YouTube is the ish. Let's enjoy the music, or the groove, if you wanna move.  U Remind Me I heard this song in 2001 before I went to the US to attend MIT. This song makes me think about fleeting crushes, women I saw and thought were cute and never really got to meet. "Yo, I ain't seeing you in a minute, but I got something to tell you, listen" "You remind me of a girl, that I once knew. See her face whenever I, I look at you. Won't believe all of the things she put me

Buei!!! Samini was the first young Ghanaian musician to really cross our borders as a superstar. VIP is a group, they did theirs too. I went to him in Dansoman in Museke 's early days. He was a feeling brother! Since then, we have spoken a number of times, and he even joined a Konnect group! If you didn't know Samini was the GIMPA SRC President once, then you should look at him in a better light o. Akye saaa! He's one of the best live performers from Africa, maybe on a global scale too. Breaking News!!!!? You should see him perform live. Or watch this video .  He makes serious music, timeless music, danceable music, lovable music, the kind of music hits you and you feel no pain. There are so many top songs from Emmanuel Andrews Samini to go to bat with. Man! He should be knighted in the music industry. Batman  aka Dankwansere aka Samini has a Midas touch. Bam bili woy! Where My Baby Dey - 2009 Nsem pii. Hmmmm.  I was so excited to hear this song. How can you not shout at

As you might know, GhanaThink (of which I lead) has been running the #GhanaianDream campaign. Learn about it here & there , and see some social media posts, especially these ones . There are lots of Ghanaian Dream versions by Ghanaians from all walks of life, and all sorts of opinions, needs, wants, beliefs, situations and experiences. What is my Ghanaian dream? Here it is . I have another Ghanaian Dream . One I would love to wake up to. Read on. Start A Ghanaian man / woman wakes up in the morning in his SSNIT Flat in Accra, turns off his alarm clock made in China , and then tunes into the Citi Breakfast Show via the Citi News app . He eventually gets out of his bedsheets sewn in Kumasi , puts on his clothes made by Wear Ghana , belt made in Kumasi, socks from Chale Socks , shoes from Horseman Shoes , puts on his  Caveman watch . He proceeds to have his breakfast -  Brother's Bakery , Tom Brown Mix from Kolikoli , eggs from Ulzenap Farms , drinks his pineappe juice from Bl

I have to start from the day I met Viviane . It was one fine day before the Afrotainment Museke Online Africa Music Awards in September, 2011 in New York . We were organizing the first ever African Music Awards in the United of States of America. We have done some. Museke . It was a rehearsal for the MOAMAS. Big Apple. Big Personality. Big Performance . Big Voice. Big Beauty. Now you know one more thing about the one-time sister-in-law of Youssou Ndour. I bet you knew she is one of the most famous musicians from Senegal. And a one-time winner of female African Musician of the Year, awarded by Museke .  She is very beautiful, after all these years. Someone would say I'm smitten . Probably my buddy Kwadade.  Viviane Chidid/Chedid/Ndour is one of most beautiful women ever.  I wanted to meet her when I went to Dakar, Senegal too in 2016. Beautiful country. Now, let us make you feel her beautiful music . Champion - 2010 Easy right? Award winner. How could I not like a song called Ch

I first heard about Bruna through Big Brother Africa, the very first show in 2003. I think that is when I started loving Angola , and its women. I learnt that she was a musician then. As she fine , I continued tracking her music career, too. Turns out, she is really good at music as well. She is not related to Roberto Mendes . You know I love Kizomba a lot and I listen it to on Thursdays . Her music is one of many reasons. The other day, I was chatting with an Angolan friend on Whatsapp. Yes, she is a woman. She doesn't understand English well like many other Angolan friends of mine . Whatsapp started asking if they could translate what she was typing into English. And then it started offering to and translating my English into Portuguese. Shed a tear for Duolingo and Google Translate. Bruna lived in the US (Maryland areas) for many years. She can speak English . She was even cast in a movie by my friend Koby Maxwell called Paparazzi - Eye In The Dark . I am looking for the mo

Today of all days, I am missing Tanzania . Because 12 years ago around this time, I was in Bongo land. I really loved being there. Hamis Ambwene Massawe too. Ndio. Before I ever visited Tanzania, I knew a lot about Alikiba . I had seen him perform in Oakland, Califorinia while I was still at Stanford . Before that day which I met my second girlfriend - Titi (She's Nigerian, not Tanzanian)  - I knew a lot of Alikiba songs. And it is not just because of Museke . I liked music made by  I hope you would love his craft more after reading this blog post.  I am sure you know Kiswahili is the official language of Tanzania. Hapana? Kabisa? I learnt how to speak Swahili from some East African friends . I took 2 Swahili classes while at Stanford, which is the period I really started loving more music from Bongo. Bonga Flava has many flavours. Ali Saleh Kiba has his own flavour. Alikiba was such a pleasant guy when I met him. He likes to sing about love songs. Titi was right there, al

Wutah Fire!!!! They feature in my  my top 10 Ghanaian songs of 2009 ,  my 10 favorite Ghanaian songs ,  my African wedding songs playlist  and the soundtrack to 1 of the best Ghanaian movies ever made - Perfect Picture . One of the best Ghanaian groups ever! I just don't know why they hardly made music videos. I mean, like why, like how? They need to be fired for that though :-) I was sad when Afriyie & Kobby split, though they were making great music individually. For instance, Love Of My Life by Afriyie - one of my wedding playlist songs,  #MightyAfricanLove . I remember when they released Bronya , I was so excited they were back together. However, that song does not make my top 3. They are still making some songs individually, and Afriyie 's Country Hot is a classic for the ages, composed and released in the midst of the #FixTheCountry movement, a song that should be played consistently on radio, everywhere. Anyway. back to Wutah Fire! Esikyire - 2005 I remember vi

I am a very big fan of Akwaboah's music. One of my favorite YouTube videos to listen to is this one - a performance he did at the EMY Awards. I would love to see him perform live, surprised I have never? Me too. I would have loved to be at Citi TV and he was making us rally around the flag , or the various #Cituation related shows. I always love hearing his songs on the Citi Breakfast Show hosted by Bernard Avle and Nathan Quao.  Akwaboah is the king of love songs in Ghana, currently. Maybe ever. Kojo Antwi? Okay, debatable. I already gave Kojo Antwi his props too.Before I get into my top 3, have you heard Akwaboah's song Posti Me ? This song eh? You know I love social media. I love to be romantic on social media too. See  #MightyAfricanLove . W8! W@!?  I just realised he has done a song with Efya and Adina ? OMG! Check it out, I Still Love You ! Okay, onto the faves. I Do Love You - 2013 This was one of my wedding songs. Self-explanatory. Thinking about this is making me

I have sang in a choir in my life, the Clerk House choir at Presec . I am not a great singer, I do sing tenor though. I did enough to get into the choir. One of the best all-time choirs - worldwide - is the Soweto Gospel Choir . Don't believe me? Ask the Grammys. Their albums Blessed, African Spirit and Freedom won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2006, 2007 and 2019, respectively. They have even been nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes.  I was first introduced to this choir by some Southern African friends while in MIT . Their music features heavily on my Sundays - including this blessed one.  African Dream - 2005 What is the African Dream ? The conversation has been had in some circles, but not quite discussed, decided and disseminated. Listen to the song, if you get lost in the voices and melodies, listen to it a couple more times.  I have tweeted about this several times, including the text below ( twice as nice ). "Cos in my African dream,