Sarkodie Goes Gospel

Ghana’s reining Artiste of the Year, Sarkodie “Obidiponbidi” can pass as one of the country’s most celebrated secular artistes in the Hip life genre; but he has released a gospel song that talks about his real life story.

The song, ‘Bebrebe’, has not yet been played on any media network and would be officially released this evening.

‘Bebrebe’ is a duet between Sarkodie and award-winning gospel musician, Herty Bongreat, with the beat produced by Kaywa.

The song talks about how Sarkodie’s mother was suffering from ill health and her situation deteriorated to the extent that she almost lost hope until she miraculously got healed.

Sarkodie also sings about how God had raised him from obscurity to prominence and blessed his music career so much that he has grabbed some of the industry’s biggest awards.

Herty also sings about the blessing of God in her life and the number of children God has blessed her family with. Indeed, Herty has five strong children all below age 12.

This is the second time Herty is collaborating with a secular artiste for a gospel production. She recently released gospel track ‘Kano Seyaa’ with award-winning hip-hop star, Trigmatic.

The collaboration between Trigmatic and Herty sparked a heated controversy and this new track with Sarkodie would not be an exception.

It was difficult reaching Herty to explain the choice of Sarkodie but she had explained the Trig collaboration in a previous interview with NEWS-ONE.

“You may call it unusual but the idea is just to get my ministry as a gospel musician to reach a new audience and a large audience for that matter. Trigmatic is a good artiste and has a large following especially among the youth.

If I have to do hip-hop to get the gospel of Christ to hip hop fans, so be it because as the Bible says, I became all things to all persons just to win some for Christ.

“I believe if I was in Jamaica, I would be doing my gospel songs in reggae or raga with the lyrics in Patua because that is the medium through which the message would reach the people.

“In America for instance, Kirk Franklin has really used his style to spread the gospel of Christ and we cannot deny that the hip-hop/hip life genre is very well accepted among Ghanaian youth and it would therefore be prudent that I package the message in a way they would accept,” Herty Bongreat explained to NEWS-ONE.

“I believe any gospel musician who cannot mingle freely and work with musicians who do not belong to the gospel fraternity has a problem.

If we cannot take our message of Christ to our fellow musicians with whom we belong to the same profession, then we have no business attempting to reach others.

I’m proud of the collaboration with Trigmatic because at the end of the day, he has helped my ministry.

He has done God’s work and this is just the beginning of such collaborations,” Herty concluded.

It is certainly a great time for Sarkodie who seems to be excelling on all fronts.

He has earned a great deal of respect for himself within the hiplife fraternity and certainly he would make a mark in the gospel grouping with this new one with Herty.

Speculations say Sarkodie has recently bought a mansion at Ashalley Botwe in Accra and had also dumped his ‘life-starter’ Toyota Matrix and bought a brand new ‘whip’. Certainly he has every reason to thank God. Pix in newsone as Sarkodie Goes Gospel.**