Daddy Lumba at Historic Chicago House of Blues!

????..the epic performance is on December 10, 2005 from Midnight to 4: 00 A.M.

Its gonna be hot and wild, yes, its gonna be a night Chicago Blue music lovers will always remember when the master musician, Daddy Lumba, take the stage on December 10 2005 at the house pf blues to do what he does best, keep his fans dancing on end!

With 20 albums under his belt, Daddy Lumba is ready to achieve a feat that no other Ghanaian musician has reached here in the U.S. Slated to play at the House of Blues on December 10, 2005, an all adult show from 12 midnight to 4:00 a.m., Daddy Lumba will be the first Ghanaian to play at the historical venue.

His albums have yielded more number one and top ten hits than any other Ghanaian musician in our time. Coining so many phrases with his lyrics, Lumba has been responsible for some of the lingo used in everyday language. Going to a social function without hearing at least one of his songs is like going to Chicago without seeing the Sears Tower silhouetting the skyline.

Over the years, rumors had had it that the popular musician would be in Chicago for a show after playing other venues around the country but for some reason, the concert never did materialize leaving his numerous chagrined fans wondering when the great crooner will be here.

As unbelievable as it may sound, House of Blues, together with Moka International has been able to reach an agreement and the versatile superstar is poised to prove to Chicagoans why for the last 20 years, he has dominated the Ghanaian music scene and airwaves with his captivating and melodic sounds.

Born Charles Kojo Fosu, Daddy Lumba started his music career as one of the duo in the group Lumba Brothers, when he collaborated with his partner Nana Acheampong and released their first album entitled ?Yereye 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.

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, Selina, Felix Owusu, Yaw Micah, Borax and lately 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 a 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 unlike any other Ghanaian musician before him. His up tempo beats were undeniably high heat.

On the title track ?Obi ato 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?, ?Seese 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 ?Woana 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 Amposah into the national spotlight. Reenergized, Lumba followed up with ?Adepa Hye Adepa?, ?Poison?, ?Papa Samo?, ?Ofie Banbofo?, ?Asee Ho?, Odo Bewu Dee Eno Nwu? and the latest, collaboration with Pat Thomas entitled ?Ahenfo Kyinie?.

For a musician who has had that many hits and has ruled the pop charts for so long, one wonders how he will select from his many catalogues the songs to play when he appears at the House of Blues. However, being the versatile showman that he is, one thing for sure is his numerous fans will leave the show acknowledging and accepting that Daddy Lumba is indeed a music icon who is second to none. Read the next issue of Spectrum for a complete interview with the entertainer.

Contact the Journalist at 630-771-9069 for details