Daddy Lumba Storms Berekum

Christmas is here once again, and Berekum will rock and break on Monday, December 28, 2009 with Ghana’s finest highlife musician, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, a.k.a. Daddy Lumba or better still DL, billed to perform live in concert for the first time in the Brong Ahafo Region, and not just in any town than The Golden City, Berekum.

With 25 albums under his belt, Daddy Lumba’s albums have yielded more number one and top ten hits than any other Ghanaian musician in our time. In 1999, he won three awards including best album and the most popular song of the year at the maiden edition of the prestigious Ghana Music Awards,


Born Charles Kojo Fosu on September 29, 1964 at Nsuta Ashanti, Daddy Lumba, a.k.a. DL, started his music career as one of the duo in the group Lumba Brothers, when he collaborated with his partner Nana Ernest Acheampong and released their first album entitled ‘Yeeye Aka Akwantuo Mu’. This song depicted the number of Ghanaian immigrants that originally leave the country to seek better fortunes abroad but make those temporary homes permanent due to financial, emotional or other unforeseen hardships. The album was produced by Lumba’s wife, Akosua Serwaa.


After Lumba Brothers, Lumba’s first solo album became an instant hit catapulting him straight into superstar status and making him a household name and a national treasure. Since then, he has averaged an album a year and has collaborated with other top musicians such as A. B. Crentsil, Kwabena Sunkwa, Selina Orleans, Felix Owusu, Akua Serwaa Bonsu, Yaw Micah, Borax and later on got hooked up with Pat Thomas, another iconic figure in the Ghanaian music industry.


On his first solo album, the song ‘Theresa’ quickly became a hit as he crooned about his lover and how no other woman is comparable. His delivery was unique, his style was impeccable. His ability to coin and mince ordinary sounding words and turning them into indecipherable incoherent phrases put his vocal technique unique unlike any other Ghanaian musician before him. His up tempo beats were undeniably high heat.


On the title track ‘Obi Ate Me So Boo’, the steady thumping drums and the consistent groovy bass line along with the sharp piercing lead guitar licks sent chills through one’s spine. On the song, his simultaneous craving and praising a new found lover while chiding and humiliating a former lover puts one in a bi-polar mood swing. However his uncanny ability to drag people along this sing-along melodic joy ride depending on whether you are praising a lover or dishing out insults to a former, leave listeners to conjecture where they stand. His second album, ‘Sika Asem’ wasted no time in climbing up the charts thus squashing the ’sophomore syndrome’, a situation whereby most musicians’ second album fail to meet the standards or exceed their first ones. This album established him as a gifted musician who would be around for a long time. Year after year, he released one hit album after the another including, ‘Ohia Asem’, ‘Playboy’, ‘Sesee Wo Se’, ‘Odo Foforo’, Biribi Gye Gye Wo’ and ‘Back for Good’. Then just like so many pop musicians before him had done, he found a new life in gospel music and released ‘Mesom Jesus’ and ‘Hwan Na Otene’. Praising and singing about Jesus had become a passion and he reached out to the many fans who had previously not listened to his secular music.

After taking some time off from the pop scene, Lumba reverted to the genre and released ‘Aben Wo Ha’ an album that took the country and his fans by storm. His finesse with words was up to the summit, his beat had become even more vibrant and the consistency of his tempo had precise and recognizable overtones of his familiar and unique style. The master had coined yet another phrase for the country. After having collaborated previously with other stars, Lumba in 1999 paired up with a rising star Ofori Amponsah to release ‘Woho Kyere’. That album produced five hits and thrust Ofori Amponsah into the national spotlight. Re-energized, Lumba followed up with ‘M’ato Odo Mu’, ‘Adepa Hye Adepa’, ‘Poison’, ‘Papa Samo’, ‘Ofie Banbofo’, ‘Asee Ho’, Odo Bewu Dee, Eno Nwu’ a collaboration with Pat Thomas entitled ‘Ahenfo Kyinie’. ‘Bubra’, ‘Give Peace A Chance’, ‘Tokrom’, ‘Agenda’, and presently enjoying massive airplay is his newest album, ‘Sika’ which sought to celebrate his 25th anniversary in music.


Quite incredibly, just as most fans had started enjoying hit by hit from his Sika album, he does the unthinkable. Another one for Christmas? It’s a bomb! And the good people of Berekum will savour the stuff that DL is made of this Yuletide.


If you’re doubting what Daddy Lumba can do on stage, then you better start putting on your dancing shoes and do some rehearsals now because The Golden City of Berekum is going to shake this Christmas. It’s happening live, it is Daddy Lumba for real! 25 albums in 25 years, the biggest thing to happen to Ghana music. There is no doubt that Daddy Lumba remains Ghana’s answer to good quality danceable highlife music. All the albums, hits and the boogies are back for good, Berekum, here we come!. From his first album, Yeeye Aka Akwantuom to Sika, his latest album, Daddy Lumba is ready to dish out good rendition of music from his repertoire to his fans in Berekum. So, from Kumasi to Kintampo, Takoradi to Tamale, all roads will lead to The Golden City, Berekum.


This Daddy Lumba’s show on Christmas is to officially commission the newest and the freshest hotel in Berekum, Runners Hotel.


Yes, it’s happening live at the Runners Hotel, Berekum on Monday, December 28, 2009 . Runners Hotel, there’s no other!