Abrantie Amakye Dede
Highlife legend Abrantie Amakye Dede last Monday December 24 enjoyed a huge backing at the Pre X-mas Musical Bash at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi.
Abrantie Amakye Dede, whose creative performance on stage earned him another breathtaking credential as one of the most thrilling high life musicians in Ghana today, threw all his skills onto the stage as he performed before people from all walks of life including business tycoons.
Backed by his own Hi Kings Band, Amakye Dede’s performance was without doubt the most thrilling. He gave his fans a feel of good Ghanaian highlife music.
Even staff of the organisers, Alpha Vel Consult, abandoned their tedious job of finding seats for fans to put on their dancing shoes and joined the rest who no longer needed the seats.
Known for delivering mid-tempo songs that always brings out the best in him, Abrantie possibly challenged himself at the show when he sang most of his popular hit-songs which included Akonoba, Bebrebe, Iron Boy, Odo Nfoni Abebi Bewua Eso, Wanware Me A, Odo Mani Agyina, and Ohohoo Batani among others.
In a chat after the show, Abrantie expressed appreciation for the way music fans in Kumasi received him, saying he was lucky to have had the opportunity to showcase his talent there. He also thanked God for what He has done for him throughout his music career.
He disclosed that on New Year’s Day, he would unleash an extraordinary performance never witnessed before in Accra at the Abrantie Spot located at Abeka Lapaz in Accra.
“Amakye Dede is always Amakye Dede and I am going to do something different, something extraordinary, something ‘seeeerious’ on New Year’s Day, so my fans should come and they will not regret it,” he said.
Kwabena Kwabena, who performed alongside Abrantie, also won the hearts of fans with his exquisite stagecraft and singing ability.
Amakye Dede has been in the music industry for close to three decades and still remains a crowd puller.
Good and vibrant music aside, what has kept Amakye Dede going is his humility and realisation that he belongs to a place of rich cultural heritage.
Amakye has never succumbed to the iniquities of foreign cultures which adore obscenity and profanity.
When he sings love songs, he does so with passion and the conviction that love conquers all and when it is about sorrow or the vicissitudes of life, he does so with the appreciation of the fact that it cannot always be rosy in life and that we should accept misfortunes as they come our way and overcome them with fortitude.
By George Clifford Owusu
