Wei Ye Oteng explains Daddy Lumba’s longevity

Music producer Wei Ye Oteng has urged the current crop of musicians and those who aspire to be counted among music legends to emulate Daddy Lumba, stressing that the highlife great has been relevant among his peers because he has paid attention to his brand.

The Drum Lyne Entertainment boss, on the occasion of Daddy Lumba’s 56th birthday told GhanaWeb that the highlife musician is “a role model; somebody we need to look up to if we want to have that longevity he’s had over the years.”

He remarked that “Lumba has paid attention to his brand and that is the key to his longevity. Keeping an eye on your brand is everything. It’s not been about his songs only but his personality, the places he goes, how he carries himself… There are some people you see them at almost every event and engage themselves in things that do not concern them. For Lumba, it becomes necessary for him to be there before he goes there.”

“He churns out good songs. Even with his profane songs, it takes a deep thinker to explain to you before you can understand it. The youth need to learn a lot from Lumba. He’s done a lot for us. From burger highlife days till date, Lumba has been relevant. Not a single album of his hasn’t made a waves. He doesn’t release because everybody is releasing; he releases because he’s thought through. Staying relevant is not about releasing songs; staying relevant is taking care of your brand and releasing songs when it’s necessary. Not just songs; the right songs that can stand the test of time."

Justice Oteng as the music producer is known in real life, however, pointed out a trait of Lumba he thinks is not worthy of emulation.

According to him, despite garnering accolades, Lumba has not been open for collaborations.

“Lumba hasn’t really done well when it comes to collaborating with others,” Wei Ye Oteng said. “The only people he does this with are people he has raised like Ofori Amponsah. I believe as we grow, we should learn how to pass on the torch.”

Lumba is a multiple award-winning Ghanaian musician with a career spanning three decades. He was born on September 29, 1964 in a village called Nsuta Amangoase in the Sekyere Central District, near Mampong in Ashanti Region.

Lumba over 30 albums to his credit. His catalogues include ‘Aben Wo Ha’, ‘Yene Wo Sere Kwa’ and ‘Enhyew’.