Working with Nacee was one of the most challenging things I've done - Nana Poku Ashis

Artiste manager and event organiser Nana Poku Ashis has revealed that his most challenging professional assignment was working with gospel musician Nacee.

He shared how Nacee had originally approached him with plans to transition from gospel into secular music and that it took an honest conversation to redirect that path toward what eventually became one of the most decorated gospel albums.

Speaking on Neat FM on July 15, 2026, Nana Poku Ashis said the assignment put him in an uncomfortable position from the very beginning.

"He had called me to work with him. He wanted to move from gospel to more of an inspirational sound; he was going secular. So I asked why, and he said I was someone who could guide him into that sector," he recalled.

Ashis noted that taking the job meant risking his own reputation.

"I sat with myself and asked, Will people say that I had gone to spoil Nacee? That once I got close to him, he started doing secular music? But the guy had made up his mind already," he said.

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Ashis added that he allowed the process to run its course, adding that he(Nacee), recorded songs with the likes of Amakye Dede and Guru.

But one morning, he sat Nacee down and delivered an advice.

"In as much as you are good at what you do, you have to think about where you're coming from and how the people will see you. They will not accept you easily. Either they accept you or they could boycott you forever. Let's forget the highlife agenda and polish the gospel to suit the tastes of the gospel audience," he told him.

Nacee listened, and the result was the ‘The Counsellor 1’ album, a gospel project that eventually won multiple awards at the Ghana Music Awards.

"When he won those awards, I told myself, since he is where he wants to be, let me also go to where I want to be," Nana Poku Ashis said.

He said shortly after, he approached Nacee and formally resigned from the working relationship.

Watch the video below:

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