One on One with Kojo Antwi at the GPHA dinner dance party

On the night of January 17, 2015, the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authorities’ (GPHA) Senior Staff Clubhouse opened its doors to top management, senior staff and industry partners for a dinner dance party.

The special invited entertainer for the night was no other but Ghana’s music maestro Kojo Antwi.

After treating the audience with energizing live performance spanning over two hours of non-stop highlife music; enthralled audience pursued him for more.

We caught up with the legend who opened up on some interesting facts about his career success.

Here is a brief chat with the legend Kojo Antwi after his performance:

Q: Kojo, you’ve done countless shows within and outside the country, what have you got to say about this one?

A: The New Year unfolded with many ways of expressing our love…I took this opportunity to do same with the wonderful staff of GPHA tonight.

I also feel that Ghanaians pay little attention to recreation. So I thought it would be the perfect way to indulge diligent staff to unwind and de-stress after a hectic year of work; it is a necessity for a healthy lifestyle.

Q: Listening to you tonight felt just like playing your recorded CD. Plus your voice sounded just as I’ve known from childhood. How have you been able to keep your voice silky and soothing after all these years of singing?

A: Ha ha ha (he laughs) it’s by the grace of God that my voice has remained so…I give all the credit to God.

Q: People out there hold the view that you started your music decades ago yet your tracks are timeless, what is your secret?

A: Well, there is good music and there is great music, so before I release a track, I do a lot of research to gather quality lyrics, tunes, arrangement, to compose quality music. I also, draw inspiration from God in my work.

Q: Without doubt you have stood the test of time; you’re simply a veteran in the music industry. What will be your advice to upcoming artistes?

A: Though I produce my own music, write my own lyrics, compose beats etc, it is not easy. So I will entreat budding artistes to listen more in their quest to stay on top in this industry. It’s important to listen to all genres of music and fuse it into our cultural tunes to create something unique instead of going the westernized way.

Q: Celebrity scandals are becoming rife. You have been in this industry for decades, what did you do right to have escaped such drawbacks as you’ve kept your reputation intact?

A: Wow! What I can say is that I’m blessed!!! I honestly feel that I’m so blessed to have gone through my career all these years without such spontaneous surprises. Delilah knocked out Sampson, Bathsheba locked King David down, so who am I to have survived all these temptation in such a sinewy industry…I’m simply blessed.

Q: Your stagecraft has never gone without your locks under colourful head gears, why is that?

A: The up-do you see right here is my crown.