As a child, I have recollections of using empty cans and cooking pots for drums and banged on anything that could serve that purpose at the age of 3 or 4. My sister, who was a couple of years older, composed funny songs which we performed for invisible audiences.
My earliest conscious musical activity was when I joined my first music group at age 14. It was a church youth group with 4 members, of which 2 of them were my sister and I.
This group was known as "friends of the blue star". It's was a four part harmony with guitar and in the style of slow gospel. We performed at major church activities like seminars in Ghana and other West African countries like Nigeria, Togo and Benin until the very late 80's. When the group broke up, I started performing solo and sometimes with my sister or other people.
My first intimate exposure to the guitar was from Chris, one of the other 2 members of the "friends of the blue star". I learned my first few chords from him and from then on, started composing and performing my original stuff solo.
In the early 90’s, I discovered a real musical connection with 2 other young talented musicians: Nat Hosanna and Richard Henries. We started an a cappella singing group that soon grew to a total of nine members, mostly guys. The ensemble started performing at major seminars in West Africa. We were first called the "Vairagi Boys", which later became "Heart to Heart”. In time, I came to be the lead singer: writing songs that we performed at church functions.
After I started writing songs for wider audiences, Nat invited Richard and I to team up with him and his high school music buddy Randy to form a band. Since none of us had instruments and couldn’t afford any, we decided to go a cappella, using our voices as instruments, and started performing around town. The formation was initially called Abuswia, which means “family” and became MAKUMA, meaning "my heart".
I remember once, we took a 4hr bus ride from Accra to Kumasi to perform at a bodybuilding contest. Promised to get money for our performance, we got a bag of yogurt!
We did, however, had a unique vibe and continued with fun projects. One of them was producing jingles for national and local radio stations in Accra. Between 1993 and 1996, we performed at different occasions at the national theatre and the Nam Conference Hall in Accra and at the great Hall in the Legon University of Ghana.
In 1996 my church group "Heart to Heart" performed at the International Trade fair Center in Accra, Ghana. There, participants came from all across Africa, Europe, Canada and the US. We made friends from the US and Canada who sponsored Heart to Heart’s 1st CD recording. We also met Sean from Quebec, Canada who since then, became a great friend and Makuma’s manager.
In 1997 he sponsored the recording of Makuma’s 1st CD and helped "Heart to Heart" to perform at the convention center, downtown Minneapolis in 1998 and 1999.
I moved to the US in 2000 and lived in Salt Lake City for 2 years. There, I composed and worked on a solo CD, performing at local restaurants and coffee houses. I did some presentations in elementary schools in Saltlake city and at the Weber State university during their World music class. Later, I moved to L.A for 6 months and then moved to Boulder Colorado where I have been living since July 2003.
I am presently the lead singer and composer for a local band called Charlie Sounds. We perform at local bars and festivals. We mostly play Reggae, West African Highlife music and some Salsa.
As a child, I have recollections of using empty cans and cooking pots for drums and banged on anything that could serve that purpose at the age of 3 or 4. My sister, who was a couple of years older, composed funny songs which we performed for invisible audiences.
My earliest conscious musical activity was when I joined my first music group at age 14. It was a church youth group with 4 members, of which 2 of them were my sister and I.
This group was known as "friends of the blue star". It's was a four part harmony with guitar and in the style of slow gospel. We performed at major church activities like seminars in Ghana and other West African countries like Nigeria, Togo and Benin until the very late 80's. When the group broke up, I started performing solo and sometimes with my sister or other people.
My first intimate exposure to the guitar was from Chris, one of the other 2 members of the "friends of the blue star". I learned my first few chords from him and from then on, started composing and performing my original stuff solo.
In the early 90’s, I discovered a real musical connection with 2 other young talented musicians: Nat Hosanna and Richard Henries. We started an a cappella singing group that soon grew to a total of nine members, mostly guys. The ensemble started performing at major seminars in West Africa. We were first called the "Vairagi Boys", which later became "Heart to Heart”. In time, I came to be the lead singer: writing songs that we performed at church functions.
After I started writing songs for wider audiences, Nat invited Richard and I to team up with him and his high school music buddy Randy to form a band. Since none of us had instruments and couldn’t afford any, we decided to go a cappella, using our voices as instruments, and started performing around town. The formation was initially called Abuswia, which means “family” and became MAKUMA, meaning "my heart".
I remember once, we took a 4hr bus ride from Accra to Kumasi to perform at a bodybuilding contest. Promised to get money for our performance, we got a bag of yogurt!
We did, however, had a unique vibe and continued with fun projects. One of them was producing jingles for national and local radio stations in Accra. Between 1993 and 1996, we performed at different occasions at the national theatre and the Nam Conference Hall in Accra and at the great Hall in the Legon University of Ghana.
In 1996 my church group "Heart to Heart" performed at the International Trade fair Center in Accra, Ghana. There, participants came from all across Africa, Europe, Canada and the US. We made friends from the US and Canada who sponsored Heart to Heart’s 1st CD recording. We also met Sean from Quebec, Canada who since then, became a great friend and Makuma’s manager.
In 1997 he sponsored the recording of Makuma’s 1st CD and helped "Heart to Heart" to perform at the convention center, downtown Minneapolis in 1998 and 1999.
I moved to the US in 2000 and lived in Salt Lake City for 2 years. There, I composed and worked on a solo CD, performing at local restaurants and coffee houses. I did some presentations in elementary schools in Saltlake city and at the Weber State university during their World music class. Later, I moved to L.A for 6 months and then moved to Boulder Colorado where I have been living since July 2003.
I am presently the lead singer and composer for a local band called Charlie Sounds. We perform at local bars and festivals. We mostly play Reggae, West African Highlife music and some Salsa.
