Terry Bonchaka: Hiplife’s hottest stage product

HE may not be the reigning hiplife champion but Terry Bonchaka is indeed reigning in the world of hiplife and currently about the hottest artiste on the block.

As he puts it “I am not reigning in the championship field now because I have handed over the baton but I am riding on waves and it is a very positive trend in the hiplife world.” It sure is a positive trend for the twenty year old who was the hiplife champion in 2001 when the segment was introduced to Club Pleasure.

He performs at all major events in the country and is good at it, and one cannot begrudge him for saying “I am the hottest stage product.” Of all his performances though, Bonchaka says Panafest 2001 and Nite With The Stars 2 are very memorable ones.

Meanwhile his debut album Ghana Ladies (Ghana Mmaa) is doing well on the market with both young and old singing Gbeebi Akle wherever one goes. Airplay is understandably massive and Bonchaka says it took a while for the tapes to get on the market but it is really selling now. Possibly a result of finally tying up a good deal with Kaakyire Music Productions.

But is the young afro-haired artiste satisfied with what he has achieved? “What I am doing now is actually a tip of what I can do,” was the response of Terry Bonchaka. Come June/July 2003, Bonchaka hopes to be coming up with album number two. He is also working on coming out with a new highlife innovation he calls Bonchakata.

There seems to be no stopping for Bonchaka who says he is currently working on coming out with a special single for Valentine’s Day to be released on radio in February. For him, it is fun being in the limelight but one cannot have a normal life anymore “because all eyes are on you wherever you go.”

The aspirations of Bonchaka is perhaps more than one is anticipating. He hopes to record about hundred songs by the end of next year and then go back to school to read law. He hopes to come out with three or four albums. “It’s best to be a very acceptable in your own country,” says Bonchaka who says he initially did not have any plans of releasing an album in Ghana.

Well, he has done just that and it is doing great, he admits. For him hiplife has a bright future “provided we play our cards well, don’t copy blindly, become innovative and creative and make sure we don’t neglect our indigenous drums and beats.”

Terry Bonchaka does not have a role model but admires Wulomei and James Brown. Is that the reason he keeps his hair bushy and prefers old school when it comes to fashion? “ Yeah, I want to bring the old school fashion back because the old time style is the best.” Truth is, his message seems to be catching on well because young folks in his area have already taken to the Bonchaka style.

Bonchaka is a Ga from La and the third of four children. He attended Ewit Greenwich Classical Academy and Adisadel College (he doesn’t stop reminding everyone that he is a Santaclausian). Aside music he loves playing table tennis, writing poems and reading the Bible. Though he sings about banku, fufu, gyigyi and the likes he loves boiled yam and kontomere stew.

As to why he always keeps an afro comb with him (even on stage) and his fingers very long, Terry simply says “I like it that way.” Sure, he may be cool but is not cool at all with all those who use artistes names for promos without contacting to them and those who keep artistes running after them for their fees till they give up.