Chemphe: Why U Dey Treat Am Bad?

Raising awareness on socially benefitial issues is becoming attractive to more young Ghanaian musicians and Chemphe is the latest to join the train.

His second album, a ten-track collection called Why U Dey Treat Am Bad, is dedicated to the fight against domestic violence and it will be launched at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel on Sunday.

The day, November 25, has been set aside worldwide as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Speaking to the press in Accra last Tuesday, Chemphe said an incident he witnessed late last year prompted him to write and record the Why U Dey Treat Am Bad song.

A new remix version of it, done with the help of other musicians like Tinny, Wutah and Castro, is what will be launched on Sunday on the Flava Records label.

Kafui Dei, Marketing and Promotions Manager of Flava Records, also said at the meeting with the press that the album will be launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, the Domestic Violence Support Unit and other civil society organisations to drum home the fact that domestic violence does not augur well for peaceful co-existence in the society.

“Flava Records believes in music that has value to people and musicians that deal with issues of substance,” he stated. “That is why we are working with Chemphe.”

The National Coordinator of the National Coalition on Domestic Violence Legislation in Ghana (DV Coalition), Adolf Awuku Bekoe, said the Domestic Violence Act was passed in May this year and has been signed into law by the President.

Certain measures, however, have to be put in place for its smooth and effective take-off. He said a plan of action is likely to be outdoored by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs by the middle of next month to ensure a properly-coordinated implementation of the Act.

“Music is a channel through which people can be helped to internalise messages that will challenge them to live peacefully with one another. We are entirely behind this Flava Records and Chemphe project,” he said.

Sunday’s launch is a prelude to a national tour by Chemphe that will kick off in Tema before the end of December. Chemphe’s debut album, No Pampanaa, came out in 2005.