The Ghanaian music space has revolutionised over the years with the country’s deep-rooted highlife genre serving as the bedrock and paving way for the amalgamation of several genres to create world-class masterpieces revered across the globe.
From the early days of Mercury Dance Band which gained notability with their classic hit, ‘Kai Wawa’, Honny and Bees Band to Osibibisa, a Ghanaian-British rock band with a Caribbean flavour who derived inspiration from the motherland touring and raising high the Ghanaian national colours on the global stage to the fusion of highlife, disco and funk which resulted in burger highlife in the 1980’s and Hiplife, the Ghana music space has enjoyed an impressive streak.
In 2019, there was a cry in the wilderness – a ticking time-bomb who was in his formative years lashing out soothing melodies waiting to explode.
From a small mining city in the Ashanti Region called Konongo, the teenager at the time was looking to see his ripples felt in the greater depths of the regional capital, Kumasi.
The Ghanaian music space has revolutionised over the years with the country’s deep-rooted highlife genre serving as the bedrock and paving way for the amalgamation of several genres to create world-class masterpieces revered across the globe.
From the early days of Mercury Dance Band which gained notability with their classic hit, ‘Kai Wawa’, Honny and Bees Band to Osibibisa, a Ghanaian-British rock band with a Caribbean flavour who derived inspiration from the motherland touring and raising high the Ghanaian national colours on the global stage to the fusion of highlife, disco and funk which resulted in burger highlife in the 1980’s and Hiplife, the Ghana music space has enjoyed an impressive streak.
In 2019, there was a cry in the wilderness – a ticking time-bomb who was in his formative years lashing out soothing melodies waiting to explode.
From a small mining city in the Ashanti Region called Konongo, the teenager at the time was looking to see his ripples felt in the greater depths of the regional capital, Kumasi.
Black Sherif’s unique sound blends was the differentiating factor with highlife as its bedrock, his adept tendency to communicate real situations with his sentimental ballad style grabs one’s attention on the first listen.
Songs such as Destiny, Ankonam, Money, Ade Akye and Mariana were his earliest armour during his formative days.
He was tipped as one of the young artiste to look out for with an impressive trajectory as prescribed by some digital streaming outlets due to the numbers he was amassing on their platforms.
With a record 11 nominations at the 23rd Vodafone Ghana Music Awards including the ultimate Artiste of the Year category, Black is shooting for the stars.
He is also in the running for Most Popular Song of the Year, Best Reggae/ Dancehall song, Best Hip Hip Song, Best Afro-Pop Song, Album/EP of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Collaboration and Best Hiplife/Hip pop Artiste respectively.
With all these categories in the bag, the line have been drawn.
If talk on the digital and traditional media is anything to go by, music lovers will be witnesses an unprecedented spectacle on the night of May 6, 2023.
Since the voice of the people is the voice of God, will VGMA be the night that the youngster who was once at his ‘downest in life’ finally sits atop the hill?
