By Hannah Dadzie.
Executives of ‘Highlife is Alive’, a fan club which projects Ghanaian highlife music across the globe has taken a decision to institute what it calls ‘a Sung Story Music festival’ in honour of Nana Kwame Ampadu who passed on recently.
The festival, which will be celebrated annually, is to remember the late Kwame Ampadu for his promotion of storytelling through his songs which have impacted many lives.
This was made known when executives of the group paid a visit to the family house of the late Nana Kwame Ampadu to console them.
Speaking to GBC News, a member of the group, Veteran Actor, David Dontoh said the late Nana Kwame Ampadu had been instrumental in raising the Highlife music in Ghana, adding that, the festival would help remember his works, uplift and sustain the Highlife genre.
The festival is to be named Nana Kwame Ampadu Sung Story festival. It will bring together highlife musicians who use music to tell impactful stories. Highlife is Alive Fan club believes celebrating the legend will promote Highlife music across the globe.
Veteran actor David Dontoh said Nana Kwame Ampadu has left an indelible mark in the industry, therefore the need to celebrate him. Mr. Dontoh said Ghana is known to be the citadel of storytelling and asked Ghanaians, especially upcoming highlife musicians, to emulate the storytelling nature of Nana Ampadu that has changed many lives.
“If you mention the Nana Kwame Ampadu whether in Ghana or outside Ghana people will only refer you to highlife music, he is actually known as the proponent of the genre we call Sung Story, those who use stories to sing, and that is why the Highlife is Alive Fan Club has taken upon itself institute this Sung Story Festival in his name because he is the master storyteller,” Mr Dontoh said.
A nephew of the late Nana Kwame Ampadu, Kwame Adjei Ampadu, expressed gratitude to the club for the initiative and appealed to Ghanaians to cherish the good works of the late Nana Ampadu.
“When he was alive people were coming here, giving testimonies, Nana your music has made me this and that, that tells us Nana is a whole institution, so if Highlife is Alive group wants to do something monumental for him, it is welcome, the family is so much appreciated.”
Some veteran highlife musicians spoke to GBC News.
“I support the monumental thing that Highlife is Alive is planning to do, Nana and I go back a long way and I will miss him a lot,” Pat Thomas.
“Nana Ampadu has done so much, I’m glad that his demise will catapult something for the up and coming ones to see and follow,” Gyedu Blay Ambolley.
Nana Kwame Ampadu was a prolific songwriter who wrote thought-provoking songs many of which have endured over time. Some of his popular songs include Obra which became the theme song for one of the Akan Drama shows aired on Ghana Television on Sundays, Oman Bo Adwo, Kofi Nkrabea, and Obi Benya Wo.
November 6, 2021, has been chosen to observe 40 days of Nana Kwame Ampadu’s demise.
