I’m Not In A Hurry – Lady Prempeh

Ever since she won the Ghana Music Awards (GMA) New Gospel Artiste of the Year 2005 prize and joined the stars in the Ghanaian music arena, one question has been hanging on the neck of pretty singer Lady Prempeh.

More than half-a-decade after the question was first asked, the media are still flashing the query in her sweet face. On Thursday, August 18, The Mirror, in a telephone chat with the First Lady of Ghanaian gospel music, repeated the question.

‘Since you hit the limelight in 2004, you have grabbed some popularity, made some fortune and you are still glowing with beauty and as your fans and the media have been asking; who is the man in your life?’ The Mirror asked.

‘I am not in a hurry to settle down with a man. I am waiting upon the Lord to give me direction to make the right choice,’ she replied with an infectious giggle and added, ‘I have fallen in and out of love before and now I am taking my time and waiting upon the Lord’.

The award-winning singer was recently listed among the Graphic Showbiz’s hottest single celebrities but she insists that music is her better-half for now.

Lady Prempeh made a triumphant entry into the local gospel music ‘ring’ in 2004 with her eight-track punchy, award-winning debut album, Onyame Ne Mekamafo (God is my Advocate) and followed it four years later with another popular one, Eho Ye (The ‘place’ is good).

She has just released her third work, the title track of which is already making a steady climb to the top of the Adom FM TOP 20 Music Chart. Na Ataban (His Wings) was produced under the Cross Music label and made public a few months ago.

To show that she is indeed rooted in the gospel music business, Lady Prempeh said she had another album ready under her sleeve and would release it after her fans had fed well on the current one.

Recently Lady’s fans got somewhat upset with her when she recorded a song, ‘Odo Yi Wohen?’ (Where is the love?) with hiplife star Richie and others as they questioned her allegiance to the gospel music fraternity.

“Some people were not happy with the song because, though I was an inspirational song, they did not hear the name of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit in it. Really that song was meant to educate the youth to show love and also appreciate affection but I have learnt a lot from the public reaction to that song” she said.

Born Esther Abena Nyarkoa Prempeh on April 15 ‘nineteen-eight-something’, the gospel diva said one of her favourite composers, Nana Boateng and popular distributor, Big Ben, together coined her stage name, Lady Prempeh after considering several other pen names, including Gooding Prempeh and Abena Prempeh. ‘I am happy with the final choice, Lady Prempeh, because it was readily accepted by the public’.

Lady Prempeh is the third of six siblings and is the third of six siblings and is the third of six siblings and is the only female child of her parents, Mr. Paul Prempeh and Madam Cecilia Antwi. She grew up in Kumasi under the care of her grandmother, Madam Christiana Gyasi.

Lady, who is a native of Jukwa-Denkyira in the Central Region, started school at the Jesus The King School, Kwaadaso Estates, Kumasi, and continued at the OLA Senior High School, Kenyasi, Ashanti.

‘So Lady, how did your music career start?’ The Mirror asked. ‘Well, I started singing at the tender age of seven and indeed performed during Children’s Day celebrations at my local church, the Church of Pentecost”.

“I also performed during Sunday School sessions and Easter Conventions and by the age of 10, I was a member of the Amazing Love Singers group”.