Jewel Ackah dead

Musician and supporter of the National Democratic Congress, Jewel Ackah has passed away.

The highlife legend who had been battling stroke and other sicknesses for over 10 years now is said to have passed away at his home in the late hours of Friday April 27.

Jewel, until his demise was on medication and gradually fighting the various ailments.

Known for the popular party anthem for the National Democratic Congress, Jewel is said to have made comments to the effect that he didn’t want to be celebrated when he died when monies could be as well donated during his trying times to cater for his health.

“I want to remind them that they shouldn’t let me die before they come and make Jewel Ackah….Jewel Ackah”, he said while Addressing an NDC group who donated a sum of GHC2,000 towards his medication in August 2017.

He was 73.

About Jewel Ackah

Jewel Ackah was born in 1945 at Axim in the Western Region of Ghana to Emmanuel Ackah and Cecilia Dye.

He started his education at the Axim Roman Catholic primary and completed in Takoradi in 1963. Jewel had a career as a footballer and later joined a shipping company called Palm Line.

He realised shipping was not his field so he was introduced to a traditional drumming group and within a short time he became the best in the group. Jewel was picked up by a renowned musician named Ebo Tailor.

He is one of the few musicians who made popularised the gospel music genre in Ghana after he had drifted from secular music.

He started playing live dance band and played with guys like Elgrand Kwofie, C.K. Mann and Jos Akins as the master of the band. In 1974 Jewel recorded his first album ‘Gyaki Mea’ in the Nzema dialect which was a hit and won him several awards. He also teamed up with Pat Thomas to record the song ‘˜False Lover’ the same year.

Still as a drummer, he joined the famous Sweet Beans Band and through hard work was called to lead the Sweet Talks in Tema. From there he made his trip to the US with C.K. Mann. After his trip he also made some single trips to Canada, back to the US and then to Europe.

Jewel Ackah has over 27 albums to his credit. Some of his songs are ‘Asomdowoe Hene,’ ‘Abena,’ ‘I’m in the Mood,’ ‘Joyce Sane Bra,’ and ‘Me Wo Bi.