Veteran Dancehall artiste Zagidi Bogidi
Veteran Dancehall artiste Zagidi Bogidi has revealed that the inspiration behind his maiden hit song "Me R Ne L," released in late 1999, was to address the stereotyping of Asantes regarding their pronunciation of the letters "R" and "L."
According to Zagidi, the song aimed to bring this prevalent issue among Asantes to the limelight and encourage discussion.
He mentioned that following the release of the track, Asantes became more aware of their pronunciation of these letters.
He acknowledged that the song sparked conversations on radio and other platforms about this linguistic challenge among Asantes.
Despite achieving its purpose, Zagidi faced criticism from his community for openly discussing the issue.
Known in private life as Dominic Akosa, Zagidi hails from Asante Mampong in the Ashanti Region and is an Asante by tribe.
He was the leader of the rap group Patty Riders during the early days of Fun World at the National Theatre.
The group was celebrated, winning the best-performing trio award consecutively during Fun World's peak in the late 1990s.
They also won the Maxi Malt competition organised by Guinness and Fan Milk for outstanding groups at Kiddafest.
At Panafest '95, they were adjudged the outstanding group and shared the stage with legendary reggae artiste Lucky Dube during his performance at the National Theatre to mark South Africa's independence anniversary.
In an interview with classfmonline.com, Zagidi, who has been living abroad, announced his return to promote his latest single, "Ku Ma Mi," in the Ghanaian market.
He shared that the track is performing well in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, following his tour and video shoot there last week.
